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Tronchon Breaks Through in Thrilling Fashion

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LA VUELTA 2026 | STAGE 10 | ALCARAZ > ELCHE DE LA SIERRA


An exhilarating finale to stage 10 of La Vuelta 26 saw Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United) come through as a surprise, spectacular winner. The French youngster could hardly believe it as he crossed the line victorious in Elche de la Sierra, the first finish of the second week. Baroudeurs lit up the day on rolling terrain, attacks flew until the final kilometre, but Groupama-FDJ United managed to put their puncheur in a winning position as he flew past Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana) and Xabier Mikel Azparren (Pinarello Q36.5) with just 50 metres to go. Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) and Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) complete the day’s top 3 ahead of Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike). Enric Mas (Movistar) was vigilant to retain La Roja on the eve of an essentially flat stage to Lorca.

Into the second week! After the first rest day, La Vuelta 26 resumes action with a rolling stage between Alcaraz and Elche de la Sierra. The 184.7 km route features three categorised climbs and almost 3,000 metres of elevation across the day’s many hills. Enric Mas (Movistar) aims to retain La Roja as the overall leader of the race, while many contenders aim for stage wins. Tuesday’s course could favour fast men or long range attackers depending on the race dynamics.

A 7-man breakaway to challenge the sprinters

Attacks fly from the start but early contenders are rapidly reeled in by the bunch. A group of six riders manage to go clear at km 15: Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United), Michael Gogl (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco AlUla), Fabian Weiss (Tudor), Sinuhé Fernandez (Burgos Burpellet BH) and Ivan Cobo (Kern Pharma). Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) senses an opportunity and sets off in pursuit. The Norwegian baroudeur, winner of a Giro stage earlier this year, joins the front group at km 23.

Behind them, Matthew Brennan’s Visma-Lease a Bike and Bryan Coquard’s Cofidis rapidly take over the pace-setting in the bunch. The gap never gets higher than 2’55’’, the difference registered at the beginning of the first of three cat. 3 climbs on the course. Paleni conquers the first summit of the day (Puerto del Peralejo, km 47.6); Weiss takes the second (Puerto de Ayna, km 86.3); and Weiss also goes first at the intermediate sprint (Hellin, km 125).

A thriller en route to Elche de la Sierra

Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco AlUla) and Sinuhé Fernandez (Burgos Burpellet BH) are dropped just ahead of the final climb, Puerto de Socovos (km 163.2). At the bottom, the peloton trail by just over a minute. Counter-attackers shake the peloton with a flurry of attacks. Eddie Dunbar (Pinarello Q36.5) manages to open a gap, then Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Emirates XRG) accelerates a couple of times. Matthew Brennan covers these moves for Visma-Lease a Bike. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) also get in the mix but Enric Mas (Movistar) reacts well.

At the summit, Paleni, Gogl, Dversnes and Cobo hold on to a gap of half a minute. It doesn’t seem much with over 20 kilometres to go but the rolling terrain makes it difficult for the peloton to control the situation. Vermaerke keeps trying while Dversnes drops his breakaway companion one by one, until Gogl cracks with 7 km to go. He is replaced at the front by Iñigo Elosegui (Kern Pharma), Milan Vader (Pinarello Q36.5) and Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) but Decathlon CMA CGM drive a hard chase.

As the attackers are caught into the final 4 kilometres, Walter Calzoni (Pinarello Q36.5) sets off, only to be reeled in a couple of kilometres later. Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana) attacks under the one-kilometre banner. Xabier Mikel Azparren (Pinarello Q36.5) follows him. Their move almost succeeds but Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United) flies past them with 50 metres remaining to take his first Grand Tour stage win ahead of Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), Thibau Ny (Lidl-Trek) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike).

Stage 10

  1. Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United) 4h07’41”
  2. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Uno-X Mobility) +0’00”
  3. Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) +0’00”

GC

  1. Enric Mas (Movistar Team) 32h41’44”
  2. Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +01’18”
  3. Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) +01’39”