“Almost everything has been under control” – Enric Mas takes two-minute Vuelta lead over Felix Gall and Primoz Roglic into final week
Cycling
Three-time Vuelta a Espana runner-up Enric Mas will begin the final week of the 2026 race with more than two minutes in hand over both Felix Gall and Primoz Roglic.
The Movistar leader retained his 2:06 advantage over Gall during Stage 15, with Roglic only four seconds further behind in third. The principal contenders finished together in Cordoba, allowing Mas to reach the second rest day without surrendering any of the time accumulated during a highly profitable run through the mountains.
“Not everything has gone like we wanted since last Sunday, but almost everything has been under control, so I’m happy,” Mas said in his post-stage interview.
Mas won on the Alto de Aitana before gaining further time at Calar Alto and taking another 25 seconds from Roglic on Sierra de la Pandera. Gall displaced the Slovenian in second place by four seconds after Stage 14, but neither has yet managed to reduce Mas’s advantage.
Movistar hands responsibility to Visma and Cofidis
Movistar entered Stage 15 with little reason to chase the breakaway or expose Mas on terrain that offered no obvious opportunity for his closest rivals. The team instead intended to leave responsibility for the stage victory with the sprinters’ squads.
“To be honest, it was one of our plans to let the breakaway go and let Jumbo and Cofidis control until the finish,” Mas explained. “That was until Wout attacked at the intermediate sprint.”
Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Cofidis kept the original escape within approximately one minute during a stage reduced from 189.7 to 110.2 kilometres under the Extreme Weather Protocol.
Visma then forced a major selection on the Puerto Artafi before Wout van Aert attacked through the intermediate sprint and bridged across to the front. Once Van Aert, Thibau Nys, Alessandro Romele, Ramses Debruyne and Andreas Leknessund established the decisive five-man group, the peloton’s pursuit lost momentum.
Movistar remained alert when several riders attempted to attack across, but Mas and the other overall contenders eventually allowed the stage victory to be decided ahead. Van Aert beat Romele and Nys in Cordoba, while the red jersey group crossed the line without any change between the leading contenders.
Enric Mas is perfectly placed heading into the final week
The final obstacles before Granada
Six stages remain between Mas and the first Grand Tour victory of his career. The 32.1-kilometre individual time trial to Jerez de la Frontera on Stage 18 will provide a different test of his advantage. The climbers then have further opportunities on the finishes at Penas Blancas and Collado de Aguacil before the race concludes in Granada.
Movistar have controlled the Vuelta since Mas inherited the red jersey following Tadej Pogacar’s Stage 8 withdrawal. Their leader has subsequently strengthened his position whenever the principal contenders have fought for time on the summit finishes.
The race’s passage through Spain has also brought considerable roadside support for the home leader. “To be honest, I really like when we race in Spain,” Mas said. “I feel a lot of support from the people and I hope it continues like this until Granada.”
Mas will resume his pursuit of the red jersey in Cortegana on Tuesday with Gall at 2:06, Roglic at 2:10 and Richard Carapaz the next closest challenger at 4:24.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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