thecyclingdane

The Vuelta a España’s queen stage delivered a brutal final showdown in the Sierra Nevada, with almost 5,000 metres of climbing packed into 187 kilometres and the race for the red jersey reaching its decisive moment on the Collado del Alguacil. Felix Gall once again put pressure on the GC contenders, while Enric Mas and Primož Roglič faced their final major mountain test of the 2026 Vuelta.
In this Stage 20 recap, we break down all the key moments from a dramatic day in the mountains, including the attacks, tactics and performances that shaped the battle for the overall classification. We also look at Mikel Landa’s huge stage victory, the fight between Mas, Roglič and Gall, and what it means heading into the final stage in Granada.

Stage 19 of the Vuelta a España 2026 delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the entire race as Eddie Dunbar claimed a huge victory at Peñas Blancas after an incredible battle from the breakaway. Dunbar held off Santiago Buitrago in the final moments to take a memorable stage win, while behind them the GC contenders went head-to-head on the final climb with Enric Mas once again defending the red jersey.
With just two stages remaining, the pressure is now enormous. Primož Roglič is still chasing Mas and looking for a way to turn the race around, while Félix Gall, Oscar Onley and the rest of the GC contenders fight for crucial seconds before the final mountain stage. We break down Dunbar's breakthrough victory, Buitrago's heartbreak, the attacks on Peñas Blancas and what Stage 19 means for the battle for the Vuelta title.
We also look ahead to the final mountain showdown on Stage 20 and ask the big question: can Roglič still take the red jersey away from Enric Mas?

Stage 18 of the Vuelta a España 2026 delivered exactly what we hoped for as the race entered its decisive final days. Stefan Küng took a brilliant victory in the 32.1km individual time trial from El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera, but all eyes were on the battle for the red jersey.
Primož Roglič came into the stage needing to take time out of Enric Mas, and while he produced a strong ride to move closer to the overall lead, Mas delivered a huge performance to limit his losses and retain red. Roglič now sits just 1:37 behind Mas with two major mountain stages still to come, setting up a fascinating final battle for the Vuelta title.
In this episode of the thecyclingdane podcast, we break down Küng's impressive time trial victory, Roglič's fightback, Enric Mas' defence of the red jersey and what it all means heading into the final mountains. Can Mas hold on and win his first Grand Tour, or does Roglič still have enough time to turn the Vuelta around?
With Peñas Blancas and the Collado del Alguacil still to come, the Vuelta is far from over.

The second rest day of the 2026 Vuelta a España is here, and the final week is set up for a fascinating finish.
In this special rest-day chat, I’m joined by Jens Voigt to look back at the second week and look ahead to the decisive final stages.
Can Enric Mas finally win the Vuelta a España? The Movistar leader heads into the final week in red with a 2:06 advantage over Felix Gall and just 2:10 over four-time champion Primož Roglič. But with more mountains and the crucial time trial still to come, is Mas really in control?
We also talk about Wout van Aert, who has been one of the stars of this Vuelta. After another victory on Stage 15, his second win in just three stages, is this the best version of Wout we have ever seen?
And what about Primož Roglič? Can the four-time Vuelta winner still turn this race around and take another Grand Tour victory?
Plus, Oscar Onley’s fight for the white jersey, the impact of his crash, Jakob Omrzel’s challenge, and what Jens expects from the final week of racing.
The Vuelta is wide open — and there are still some huge questions to answer.

The second week of the Vuelta a España 2026 is in the books, and it has been another huge week in professional cycling.
On this week's thecyclingdane Podcast, we break down the biggest stories from the Vuelta, including Wout van Aert's incredible second week. The Belgian has taken two stage victories and continues to lead the points classification as the race heads towards its final stages.
We also look at Tom Pidcock's remarkable return to road racing. Just one week after becoming XCO World Champion, Pidcock switched back to the road and immediately won the GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano in Italy, attacking solo on the final climb to take an impressive victory.
Plus, we cover the 2026 Tour of Britain, the ZLM Tour, and all the other major talking points from another busy week of professional cycling.
🚴‍♂️ In this episode:
• Vuelta a España 2026 – second-week review
• Wout van Aert's two stage victories
• The battle for the Vuelta's green jersey
• Tom Pidcock wins in Larciano one week after his MTB World Championship
• Tour of Britain 2026
• ZLM Tour 2026
• The biggest winners, performances and talking points of the week
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