LA VUELTA 2026 | STAGE 18 | EL PUERTO DE SANTA MARÍA > JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA
Two years after opening his Grand Tour tally in Madrid, Stefan Küng (Tudor) dominated stage 18 of La Vuelta 26, a 32.1-kilometre individual time trial between El Puerto de Santa María and Jerez de la Frontera. The Swiss specialist averaged 54.4 km/h to take the victory, three seconds ahead of Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), while João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) completed the stage’s top three, 9 seconds behind. Fourth on the day, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) gained 33 seconds on Enric Mas (Movistar), who finished 12th in Jerez de la Frontera and retained La Roja with a lead of 1’37’’ over his Slovenian runner-up. Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) dropped to third place, 3’01’’ behind. Friday will bring a completely different type of challenge, with a mountain showdown in the province of Malaga ahead of the final weekend in Granada.
There are only four stages to go to Granada, and stage 18 is a decisive one with a 32.1 km individual time trial from El Puerto de Santa Maria to Jerez de la Frontera. On the roads of Cadiz, powerhouses battle for the stage win and GC contenders test their strength ahead of the two final mountain showdowns in the provinces of Malaga and Granada.
The 149 riders who finished stage 17 start in reverse order of the overall standings, from last to first. Matias Sunekær Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek) goes first, at 14:07. The riders start at one-minute intervals until Raul Garcia Pierna (Movistar) sets off at 16:15. Then, the top 20 riders in GC will go every two minutes, finishing with the current overall podium: Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at 16:51, Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) at 16:53, and eventually Enric Mas (Movistar) at 16:55.
Thornley stronger than Hayter and Almeida
Two British specialists start early: Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) at 14:11, and Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at 14:19. After he saw Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates XRG) snatch the victory by the smallest gap in Monaco, Hayter is out for revenge. He sets the first benchmark: 35’54’’… That’s not enough to resist Thornley, who finishes in 35’25’’ and takes the hot seat.
With a strong start, Joao Almeida (UAE Emirates XRG) leads the way at the first intermediate checkpoint (km 11.7), almost three seconds ahead of Thornley. But the Portuguese star is 0.27 second behind at the second checkpoint (km 22.1), and he eventually trails by six seconds at the finish.
Mas impresses
After 11.7 km, Stefan Küng (Tudor) is in between Almeida (+1’’) and Thornley (-1’’). The Swissman pushes the pace in the midsection and takes the best time at km 22.1, 11 seconds ahead of the Scotsman. Thornley was faster in the final section, but Küng takes the best time at the line: 35’22’’ (54.4 km/h). Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) challenges his performance with a strong start but the Belgian superstar fades and eventually crosses the line with a gap of 20 seconds.
Among the GC contenders, Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) perfectly manages his effort to finish 4th, 19 seconds behind Küng. That’s enough to recover the second place overall, 1’37’’ behind Enric Mas (Movistar), who finishes 12th in Jerez de la Frontera (+52’’), while Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) drops to third place in GC (+3’01’’). With a place of 17th on the day (+1’11’’), Oscar Onley (Netcompany Ineos) increases his lead of the young riders’ standings to 57’’ over Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious).
Stage 18
- Stefan Küng (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) 35’22”
- Callum Thornley (Red Bull – Bora – hansgrohe) +0’03”
- Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates XRG) +0’09”
GC
- Enric Mas (Movistar Team) 60h45’58”
- Primoz Roglic (Red Bull- Bora – hansgrohe)
+01’37” - Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) +03’01”
