
Granada, Spain, Sept 13, 2026 (AFP) - Spanish rider Enric Mas secured his first Vuelta a Espana title on Sunday as Tobias Johannessen won the 21st and final stage in Granada, bringing the three-week Grand Tour to a close.
The 31-year-old Movistar rider, who took the red jersey after Tadej Pogacar abandoned following a crash on stage eight, held off four-time champion Primoz Roglic to become the first Spaniard to win the Vuelta since Alberto Contador in 2014.
Home favourite Mas, a three-time Vuelta runner-up, finished 2mins 15sec ahead of Roglic in the general classification, with Felix Gall third, a further half-minute behind. Mas crossed the finish line arm-in-arm with his six Movistar team-mates stretched out beside him.
It was the Spaniard's first ever Grand Tour triumph, which he effectively sealed by limiting his losses to Roglic in the individual time-trial on Thursday and then expanding his lead on Saturday in the last mountain stage.
"I've dreamed of this and fought for it," said Mas. "I felt some nerves, it was a day with a mix of emotions, all of them positive. "We have to keep on doing what we're doing, we're sportsmen and it's like this -- we're thinking about the next objectives and we have no time to enjoy our victories."
Norwegian Johannessen prevailed in the 112-kilometre final stage, which started in a supermarket and featured a series of loops through Granada and around the famous Alhambra palace. The Uno-X Mobility rider held off Alessandro Romele and Ramses Debruyne in a sprint finish.
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The last 9.8km of the race was neutralised earlier on Sunday in agreement with governing body the UCI after riders raised safety concerns, so for the general classification contenders it was a procession to the finish line. Mas inherited the red jersey from Pogacar after the Slovenian superstar, who was the overwhelming favourite to triumph at the Vuelta for the first time, suffered a severe crash which ended his season.
Five-time Tour de France winner Pogacar was hoping to become only the fourth rider to claim a Tour-Vuelta double in the same season.
A runner-up in 2018, 2021 and 2022, Mas fended off attacks from veteran Roglic and Gall along the way and proved a worthy winner, rising to every challenge.
It was Team Movistar's first Vuelta win since Colombian Nairo Quintana claimed victory in 2016.
"The reality is that the team needed a victory like this, and now we have it," said Mas.
Vuelta a España 2026 Stage 21 Results – Top 10
- T. Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) — 2:54:08
- A. Romele (XDS Astana Team) — 2:54:08 (B6)
- R. Debruyne (Alpecin-Premier Tech) — 2:54:08
- J. Brennan (Team Visma | Lease A Bike) — 2:54:08 (B2)
- B. Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United) — 2:54:08
- P. Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) — 2:54:08
- F. Fisher - Black (Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe) — 2:54:08
- A. Laurance (Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team) — 2:54:08 (B4)
- P. Marti Soriano (NSN Cycling Team) — 2:54:08
- M. Brenner (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) — 2:54:08
Vuelta a España 2026 Overall Standings – Top 10 After Stage 21
- Enric Mas (Movistar Team) – 73:52:55 (B22)
- Primož Roglič (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) – 73:55:10 (B4)
- Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) – 73:55:39 (B8)
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education - EasyPost) – 73:59:49
- Sepp Kuss (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – 74:01:40
- Oscar Onley (Netcompany INEOS) – 74:02:23 (B10)
- Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain - Victorious) – 74:03:33 (B10)
- Clément Berthet (Groupama - FDJ United) – 74:04:36 (B2)
- Cristián Rodríguez (Lidl - Trek) – 74:04:54 (B12)
- Harold Tejada (XDS Astana Team) – 74:05:46
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