Remco Evenepoel had put on a dominant stance at the Vuelta a Espana up to stage nine, however to close off the opening week he put in a brilliant performance that saw him take serious time on his rivals, in what is one of the shortest uphill finishes.
"This was the plan. We wanted to let the leading group ride for the win, because it's always better that the bonuses are gone," Evenepoel told Eurosport. As in yesterday's stage, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team opted to keep a calm rhythm throughout the day instead of chasing a stage win. "It was perfect that the escapees took the stage victory. It was up to me to take time. I had the legs to go full throttle and I'm very happy with what we showed as a team."
Evenepoel was active early on, chasing himself down a move from Richard Carapaz. After the breakaway went up the road however the race calmed down, but into the final ascent it went up quite explosively once again, as the Belgian got a leadout in the very sketchy run-up to Les Praeres. A short climb, however with incredibly steep gradients. One where Evenepoel thrived, making his move within the first kilometer of the 3.8-kilometer ascent, and quickly building a meaningful gap.
The stage win was up front with Louis Meintjes crossing the line first, but for the second consecutive time, Evenepoel was the first non-breakaway rider to cross it afterwards. “My lead is important to everyone, regardless of the rider or the name. The Vuelta is far from over and we must always be focused and careful. This situation is much better than if I were behind. A big thumbs up to the team who did a great job," he said.
Evenepoel took 34 seconds on his most direct rival Juan Ayuso, however most importantly he extended his lead on Enric Mas and Primoz Roglic by 44 and 52 seconds respectively. He will head into the race's only individual time-trial in the lead, and is expected to increase it.
"I want to try to enjoy the time trial in my red jersey. To ride it in the red jersey is a dream come true. I know the course and know what to expect. My family is also there Tuesday; I will give everything," Evenepoel concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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What a race from @EvenepoelRemco! #LaVuelta22
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