The dream becomes reality: Enric Mas claims the biggest win of his career and wins La Vuelta 2026

Enric Mas is now the winner of La Vuelta a España. At 31 years old, the Mallorcan has achieved the most important victory of his career in Granada, bringing Spanish cycling back to the top of its grand tour twelve years after Alberto Contador's last triumph in 2014. He does this after three weeks in which he went from podium contender to undisputed leader of a Movistar team that completely transformed his race when an opportunity arose that initially seemed very difficult to imagine.

Enric Mas: from eternal contender to challenging Pogačar and winning La Vuelta 2026

Mas started La Vuelta among the group of riders expected to fight for the podium. His previous performances in the race justified that status, but the presence of Tadej Pogačar made it difficult to place the Spaniard among the main candidates for victory.

The race began confirming those predictions. Pogačar won the opening time trial in Monaco and again triumphed in the fourth stage, where he opened significant gaps. But just a few days later, a first sign appeared that this could be a different Vuelta for Mas.

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In the sixth stage, on the gravel of El Bartolo, the Mallorcan starred in one of the race's defining images. Mas caught and passed Pogačar mid-climb, something particularly significant given that he was ahead of the rider who had turned his uphill accelerations into practically unanswerable moves over the past few years.

Pogačar ended up winning that stage, but Mas left El Bartolo with a different consideration within the race. He no longer seemed just a candidate to accompany the best on the podium. For the first time, it began to make sense to think that he could contest La Vuelta.

Pogačar's fall changed everything

Two days later, the race took an unexpected turn. Tadej Pogačar suffered a severe fall during stage 8 and had to abandon La Vuelta.

Mas inherited the red jersey, and suddenly, Movistar had to completely rethink the next three weeks. The team that had arrived with a margin to seek stage wins now had a single objective. Win La Vuelta with Enric Mas. And Mas himself also changed.

The Mallorcan took on the leadership with an unusual confidence. He always maintained caution when speaking about Primož Roglič and Felix Gall, his two main threats, but at the same time, he acknowledged that he was probably experiencing the best form of his life.

This was no small statement for a rider who had been among the best grand tour riders in the world for years.

A race that changes Enric Mas's record

Until this Vuelta, Mas's trajectory presented a curious contradiction. His results in grand tours were those of a top-level cyclist, but his number of victories did not reflect that consistency.

He had finished three times second and once third in La Vuelta, in addition to achieving fifth place in the 2020 Tour de France. However, before starting this race, he had accumulated only six victories as a professional. The Vuelta 2026 completely changes that reading of his career.

Because Mas did not just maintain the lead he received after Pogačar's abandonment. From that moment, he had to defend it for almost two weeks, and he did so against riders like Roglič, Gall, and Richard Carapaz.

In the mountains, his natural terrain, none managed to turn the race around. In La Pandera, Gall was able to accelerate in the final part, but Mas responded, and both ended up gaining 25 seconds on Roglič. The Austrian then moved to second place, but the red jersey remained firmly on the shoulders of the Spaniard.

And when Peñas Blancas arrived, already in the last week, Roglič was forced to attack. He tried in the last kilometer, but Mas responded immediately, and both finished without differences. Another opportunity lost for his rivals.

The time trial that could change La Vuelta

If there was one day marked in red for Movistar, it was the time trial in Jerez. The 32.1 kilometers between El Puerto de Santa María and Jerez represented the most favorable scenario for Roglič and the greatest danger for Mas. Before the stage, the Spaniard had 2:10 over the Slovenian, and from Red Bull-BORA, it was even calculated that, under normal conditions, Roglič could recover about a minute and a half. Mas responded with one of his best time trials.

Stefan Küng won the stage, and Roglič finished fourth, but the leader only lost 33 seconds to the Slovenian. He left Jerez still dressed in red and with a 1:37 advantage. What on paper could have completely reopened La Vuelta ended up further reinforcing his candidacy.

Mas was untouchable again when the mountains returned

There were two opportunities left to change the race, and both were in the mountains. The first ended in Peñas Blancas without Roglič being able to gain a single second. The decisive one came in stage 20, with almost 4,900 meters of elevation gain and a finish at the grueling Collado del Alguacil.

Mikel Landa took a victory of great prestige from the breakaway, but behind, La Vuelta was being decided. Felix Gall attacked on the final climb, and Mas reacted again. Roglič, this time, could not do so. The Mallorcan even ended up gaining another 37 seconds on the Slovenian and left the last major mountain day with a 2:15 advantage. La Vuelta was sealed.

A victory conditioned by Pogačar, but absolutely deserved

It is impossible to tell this Vuelta without mentioning Tadej Pogačar's abandonment. His fall completely changed the course of the race and eliminated the man who had started as the main favorite. But reducing Mas's victory to that circumstance would ignore everything that happened before and after.

Before the fall, Mas had already shown that he could challenge Pogačar. The overtaking at El Bartolo was probably the first great sign of the level the Mallorcan brought to this Vuelta. And after the abandonment, he had to do the most difficult thing. Defend the red jersey.

Roglič had the time trial to recover ground. Gall had the big mountain stages to try. Carapaz sought offensive moves. None managed to really put Mas under pressure.

Movistar also rose to the occasion. The team immediately understood that the race had changed, abandoned any secondary objectives, and built all its strategy around the red jersey from then on. They controlled breaks when necessary, placed riders ahead to use them as support, and protected their leader during the decisive days.

Enric Mas brings La Vuelta back to Spanish cycling 12 years later

The last stage in Granada finally served to cap off three weeks that change the sporting dimension of Enric Mas. With the general times protected by the organization, the Mallorcan was able to enjoy the final circuit and receive the mass shower reserved for the winner of La Vuelta.

At 31 years old and after spending much of his career close to a great victory, Enric Mas finally wins a grand tour.

And his triumph also transcends the rider himself and Movistar. Since Alberto Contador won La Vuelta in 2014, no Spanish cyclist had returned to the top of the final podium. Twelve years later, that wait ends in Granada.

Enric Mas is the winner of La Vuelta a España 2026.

Final general classification of La Vuelta 2026

1. Enric Mas — 73:52:55 — Movistar Team
2. Primož Roglič — +2:15 — Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
3. Felix Gall — +2:44 — Decathlon CMA CGM
4. Richard Carapaz — +6:54 — EF Education-EasyPost
5. Sepp Kuss — +8:45 — Team Visma-Lease a Bike
6. Oscar Onley — +9:28 — Netcompany INEOS
7. Jakob Omrzel — +10:38 — Bahrain Victorious
8. Clément Berthet — +11:41 — Groupama-FDJ United
9. Cristián Rodríguez — +11:59 — XDS Astana Team
10. Harold Tejada — +12:51 — XDS Astana Team