Enric Mas makes history with his first Vuelta a España victory

Mallorcan cyclist Enric Mas has won the 2026 Vuelta a España, claiming the first Grand Tour victory of his career at the age of 31. The rider from Artà brought three weeks of racing to a close in Granada this Sunday, ending a long wait: he had finished on the podium four times at the Spanish race but had never reached the top step.

The Movistar Team rider finished the race with an overall time of 73 hours, 52 minutes and 55 seconds. Primoz Roglic was second, 2 minutes and 15 seconds behind, while Felix Gall completed the podium, 2 minutes and 44 seconds behind.

Enric Mas, centre, with the rest of the Movistar Team during the final stage of the 2026 Vuelta a España. Photo: lavuelta.es

The victory also has special significance for Spanish cycling. Mas becomes the first Spaniard to win the Vuelta since Alberto Contador in 2014, 12 years after the country’s last victory.

“It has been a long wait and a long road to get to this day”, the Mallorcan said after securing the biggest success of his career. “It has been a day to remember, a special Vuelta, and it has been wonderful”, he told the Vuelta’s official website.

From four podium finishes to victory at the Vuelta a España

The triumph brings to an end a succession of attempts by Mas to win the race. The Artà cyclist had finished second in 2018, 2021 and 2022 and third in 2024, giving him four podium finishes before finally securing victory.

His fortunes at the Vuelta began to change during the opening days of this edition. Tadej Pogacar started as the dominant rider and won three of the first six stages. Mas, however, had already shown his form on stage six, when he was the only rider capable of catching the Slovenian after his attack on Puerto El Bartolo. That result moved the Mallorcan into second place overall.

Two days later came one of the decisive moments of the race. Pogacar, who was wearing the red jersey and held a lead of more than three minutes over his main rivals, suffered a heavy crash just over 30 kilometres from the finish of stage eight, between Puçol and Xeraco. The Slovenian was forced to abandon the race and Mas took the overall lead.

Mas proves his strength on Alto de Aitana

The favourite’s withdrawal opened up the race, but Mas responded immediately on the road. The following day, wearing the red jersey, he faced one of the toughest stages of the edition, with more than 5,000 metres of elevation gain and a summit finish at Alto de Aitana.

The Mallorcan responded to his rivals’ attacks, eventually dropped them and won at the summit ahead of Oscar Onley. It was his second Vuelta stage victory, eight years after his win at Collada de la Gallina in 2018, and allowed him to reach the first rest day with a 1:18 advantage over Roglic.

From then on, he defended the red jersey against Roglic, Gall and Richard Carapaz. Not even the stage 18 time trial, a day that appeared on paper to favour Roglic, seriously threatened his lead: the Slovenian managed to take back just 33 seconds.

Mas passed his final major test on Saturday in the Sierra Nevada. The queen stage featured more than 5,000 metres of climbing and finished at Collado del Alguacil. The Mallorcan resisted the attacks and emerged from the mountains with a 2:15 advantage over Roglic, effectively sealing the overall classification ahead of the final stage.

A final day of celebration in Granada

The final stage, a 112-kilometre route starting and finishing in Granada, provided an opportunity to celebrate Mas’s victory. The general classification times were neutralised during the final lap of the circuit, while the battle for the stage victory ended with Norwegian rider Tobias Johannessen taking the win.

Mas crossed the finish line knowing he was already champion and took his place on the podium alongside Roglic and Gall. “Every Vuelta has been special, and I think this one is the most special”, the Mallorcan cyclist said after turning years of podium finishes and missed opportunities into his first Grand Tour victory.