He set the Colle delle Finestre record at 18 and became teammates with Tadej Pogacar - Where is he now?
Cycling
Pablo Torres turns 21 years old on 10 November, having completed his second season with UAE Team Emirates - XRG, cycling's number one team in the UCI rankings. In the past he has been hinted as cycling's new super-climbers, but has been overshadowed by the likes of Paul Seixas and Benjamin Noval Jr.
The Spanish rider continues to develop as a professional, in a year marked by his Grand Tour debut, promising results in stage races and valuable experience in a demanding race programme.
Considered one of Spanish cycling’s brightest prospects, Torres is entering an important phase of his career. After his spectacular emergence before turning professional, the Madrid native is still seeking his place in a talent-packed team that includes some of the best riders in the international peloton.
In 2024 he was second at the Tour de l'Avenir, but won the queen stage up to the Colle delle Finestre. In the 19-kilometer long climb, he won almost four minutes on his closest competitor Joe Blackmore - who won the yellow jersey that year.
At only 18 years of age, he set at the time the record on the mythical mountain, often used at the Giro d'Italia. He was signed by UAE Team Emirates - XRG, linking up with the likes of Tadej Pogacar, Isaac del Toro and João Almeida - whilst being seen as a rider of similar potential.
Pablo Torres during the 2026 season with UAE Team Emirates - XRG
His 2026 season brought moments of progress, but also setbacks. He raced his first Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España, but could not complete the three weeks after crashing on stage nine, which finished at Alto de Aitana. It was a particular shame because he was gaining experience in a race that was set to be one of the season’s most important learning opportunities.
Pablo Torres and his first Vuelta a España: a debut cut short by a crash
Racing the Vuelta a España was one of the year’s major milestones for Pablo Torres. The young Spaniard had the chance to make his debut in a three-week race at just 20, facing a schedule and demands unlike anything he had encountered before.
He produced some promising results in the opening stages. He finished 23rd on stage two from Monaco to Manosque, then took 14th on stage four, an individual time trial in Andorra. He also remained inside the top 40 on several stages before finishing 31st on stage seven, which ended at Aramón Valdelinares.
His race came to an end on 30 August. Torres could not finish stage nine, which ended at Alto de Aitana, after a crash forced him to abandon - the day after Tadej Pogacar's withdrawal. As a result, he missed the chance to complete his first three weeks of racing in a Grand Tour. He had come to support Tadej Pogacar, but neither rider finished the race.
Despite the outcome, the experience marks an important step in his development. Racing the Vuelta a España with UAE Team Emirates-XRG should help him continue to grow and gain first-hand knowledge of the demands at the highest level.
Vuelta a Burgos and Sibiu: His best results of the season
Away from the Spanish Grand Tour, Pablo Torres also showed promise in other races on the calendar. His strongest performance came at the Vuelta a Burgos, where he finished 11th overall and claimed two eighth-place stage results.
The Madrid native placed eighth on both stage three, which finished at Balneario de Corconte, and the fifth and final stage, which ended at Lagunas de Neila.
It was a promising performance in a race featuring a strong field, where he was able to demonstrate some of his abilities on demanding terrain.
Earlier in the season, he also achieved a notable result at the Sibiu Cycling Tour. Torres finished third on stage two, which ended at Păltiniș Arena, and 12th on the queen stage, which finished at Bâlea Lac. He placed 10th overall.
Another of his standout results came at the Spanish National Championships, where he won the bronze medal in the individual time trial. He finished third in a discipline in which he still has room to improve.
A learning season for a prospect with room to grow
The 2026 season also featured results that help illustrate Pablo Torres’s adjustment to professional cycling. At the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, formerly known as the Critérium du Dauphiné, he finished 30th overall, with fourth place on stage six his best stage result. He helped Isaac del Toro to overall victory.
He finished 25th overall and eighth among the young riders at the Tour of Oman, while placing 26th at the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica. His season began in January with the Clàssica Camp de Morvedre and Gran Premio Castellón, before he took on his first stage races of the year.
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In total, Pablo Torres covered 5,814.95 kilometres across 39 days of racing.
Those figures reflect a year of adaptation and learning, along with early results across different types of terrain. At 21, the Spaniard still has a long road ahead and must continue to progress with UAE Team Emirates - XRG, where competition for opportunities is especially fierce.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- Technically it is "strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching into the sprint and, in so doing, endangering others". But: 1. Marie did not endangered anyone. 2. Above rule 2.3.036 is a Road Cycling rule not CX. 3. In Cyclocross we have only not well defined "irregular sprint" without description what would that mean. But even if you use 2.3.036 for CX it is still wrongly applied rule.averagecyclist10-11-2026
- Technically, leedorney is correct. There was a deviation. It was just a very questionable call to disqualify Marie from the victory, especially since she most likely would have won regardless of it..
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - You're WRONG!!! ... Capish?PogiSloFans10-11-2026
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- No org will admit fault until the evidence in overwhelming and not even then. They have protected abusers and criminals.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- Schreiber won. UCI please admit your fault and correct result.averagecyclist10-11-2026
- She deviated from her line - end of
leedorney10-11-2026
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