World champion produces another fine display following instrumental help from his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates earlier in the stage
Thursday 27 August, 2026
Tadej Pogačar won stage 6 of the Vuelta a España on Thursday afternoon, with the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider extending his lead in the Red Jersey. The Slovenian now holds an advantage of three minutes and 34 seconds at the top of the general classification.
For Pogačar, it is his third stage win in six days, and his first taken on Spanish soil in this year’s race. With the Gran Salida in the rearview mirror, the Emirati squad has continued its magnificent start to the race in the Vuelta’s homeland.
After a daring attack on the day’s final climb, Pogačar was brought into an entertaining battle with Enric Mas of Movistar, who emerged as the Slovenian’s strongest climbing rival. The pair came together at the summit of the Puerto El Bartolo (9.4km at 7%) and, despite a few scares on the descent, traded turns towards the finish.
In the town of Castelló, Pogačar got the better of Mas in a two-up sprint, producing echoes of their Il Lombardia battle from four years ago. The day was Pogačar’s, with the world champion taking his 22nd victory of the 2026 campaign.
Pogačar had made his move with 24.5km to go on stage 6, after having been set up by the brilliant work of his teammates. It took 400m for the Slovenian to distance his immediate rivals before Pogačar went in search of the remaining remnants of the breakaway. The race leader eventually dropped all around him some 2.8km from the summit of the Puerto El Bartolo.
But that was just the beginning of the excitement.
Just as the 27-year-old looked set to press on over the summit alone, Mas of Movistar burst into the fray. Displaying a tremendous amount of fortitude, the three-time Vuelta a España runner-up mastered the gravel tracks of the final climb and bridged up to Pogačar. At the summit, their advantage over those behind stood at 34 seconds.
Onto the descent, Mas initially took the initiative, before being passed by Pogačar. For a moment, it seemed as though the 27-year-old might distance the Movistar man, but a tight corner almost got the better of Pogačar. In a split second, Pogačar was in the grass and off the road. It took a clever save from the race leader to remount his bike and quickly rejoin the wheel of Mas.
With that scare behind him, Pogačar continued to work with Mas, and the pair drove on towards the finish town.
Meanwhile, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) were trying their very best to rejoin the front of the race. Thus ensued a thrilling back-and-forth battle between the leading pair and the three riders behind. Hovering between 15 and 25 seconds, the gap between the two groups left the race well poised.
In the end, despite Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Harold Tejada (XDS Astana Team) linking up with the three chasers, Mas and Pogačar proved too strong to be caught. Inside the final kilometre, the pair engaged in a two-up sprint for the stage 6 victory.
That victory proved to be Pogačar’s. The No.1-ranked rider in the world extended his GC lead ahead of the race’s first summit finish on Friday.
Earlier in the stage, questions were posed as to whether the day would suit the GC riders or a breakaway. With four classified climbs on the route, it was certainly feasible for a large breakaway to go up the road, after all.
However, such was the enthusiasm to be in the breakaway that the battle to go up the road stretched on for almost half the stage. This lengthy contest swung the day back in favour of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who would now only need to control the breakaway for less than half a stage in order to give an assist to the team leader, Pogačar.
In turn, the Emirati squad roared into life, with João Almeida and Kevin Vermaerke trading turns for an extended period of time at the front of the peloton. Their work was swiftly followed up by Pavel Sivakov on the lower slopes of the Puerto El Bartolo, as the advantage of the day’s breakaway tumbled below two minutes.
Twisting the knife further, Jay Vine and finally Pablo Torres delivered the pièce de résistance for UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Attacking over the top of Torres with 3.8km of the climb to go, Pogačar had the breakaway well in sight and could engage in what proved to be a sensational battle for the day’s honours.
Stage 6 was won by Pogačar on Thursday afternoon, but his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates could be credited with an instrumental assist.
Pogačar: “We had a plan that we could let the breakaway go today, but it took nearly two hours to form a breakaway. So in the end, we had to pull for less than half a stage to control. So João and Kevin did a great job to keep it together, and then we could go for the stage with Pavel, Jay and Pablo leading out on the climb, and setting me up for a perfect attack.
“I was just really surprised on the top. [Mas] flew by me like a rocket. I was not expecting it because I heard in the radio that I was leading by 40 seconds from the second chasers. There was no mention of Enric, so when he passed me, I was a little bit shocked. I was sure he knew the downhill, and then I was just happy to be with him into the last 10km of the headwind. I had no water, it was nice to have a companion next to me.
“In the end, I knew that I could beat him in the sprint, but I still appreciated that he committed fully. I also committed fully to the finish line, so chapeau to him, and it was a great race.”
Vuelta a España 2026 stage 6 results:
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4:12:40
- Enric Mas (Movistar) s.t
- Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +46″
Vuelta a España 2026 general classification after stage 6:
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 15:38:27
- Enric Mas (Movistar) 3:34
- Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) +4:21
