"I couldn't do my job properly" - Felix Gall's Decathlon teammate frustration as leader insists all is well at Vuelta a Espana
CyclingMonday, 31 August 2026 at 13:00
Felix Gall insists that he feels good as the Vuelta a Espana hits the first rest day. After nine stages, and the sudden abandonment of Tadej Pogacar due to a crash, the general classification is all to play for as several contenders compete for the red jersey.
The Austrian is firmly among those in the fight for red, trailing leader Enric Mas by just 1:39 after stage 9. Performing well in the race's tough climbs so far, Gall also boasts a strong roster of climbing support for the final two weeks.
Decathlon took the intiiative on several stages so far as he looked to control the pace in the group of favourites even before UAE's departure from the red jersey fight.
On stage 9, their aggressive pace-setting on the final climb didn't pay off as Gall was left isolated and lost some seconds behind Primoz Roglic, Oscar Onley and Mas.
"Perhaps we were a bit too forceful today," Gall said after stage 9.
Decathlon controlled much of stage 9
Gall well amongst GC fight
"I had to drive at my own pace, but I think I kept the damage to a fairly good level,. It's not the worst day - I was running out of steam a little. We are operating at a high level. The team is incredibly strong, I feel good."
Mas, Roglic and Onley join Gall as the leading quartet, with just 2:20 separating the front four after nine stages.
But Decathlon teammate Gregor Mühlberger appeared to criticise the team tactics at the race, leaving him unable to provide support in the finale due to their aggressive pace.
Mühlberger appears to criticise tactics on stage 9
"I should have pulled from around seven or six K on, so I was a bit too early in the wind and I couldn't do my job properly," Mühlberger said. "This was not perfect, I would say. But some guys today were stronger than others and we didn't expect it."
"The team is amazing, the team is super strong. I would not say really disappointed, but we have to talk more in the next two weeks in the radio, how we feel and how we can do our work. We tried a lot. I think we showed again that we are pretty offensive," Mühlberger added.
Week two of the Vuelta offers more opportunities for Decathlon in the GC fight, with every stage offering some form of climbing. Four of this weel's six stages come with over 3000 meters of climbing marking yet another brutal week of racing.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- excellent point.mij31-08-2026
- it isn’t arrogant to try. read what I said. I applaud his attempt. I think it is arrogant and disrespectful to the sport to think you can jump right in with 2 weeks of riding and win. The amount of work the other riders put in is ridiculous. And taking a podium the week before a world championship is far different. everyone ups their game for the WC.mij31-08-2026
- Crazy take. Tadej was drinking from his bottle so had one of his hands off the handlebar. Really down to bad luck rather than loss of focus.Pogboom31-08-2026
- Nonsense. Just bad luck, like Jonas at the Tourderekthomas31-08-2026
- Stef Clement is an analyst? With what he said, really? Don't insult my intelligence!!! Does he know that crashes are on numerous occasions inevitable and unavoidable? No he doesn't. If he did, he wouldn't be spitting "#$%&/()=* nonsense around. PS: Did Jonas, Van Aert, Remco, Roglič...etc etc. crash so many times because they thought they were the best? Answer this one.PogiSloFans31-08-2026
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- OK, I will answer. My parents got the American citizenship yeras after living in the US, they had a dual citizenship. When I was born, I was automatically a US citizen, but when we moved back to Slovenia, I was also automatically a Slovenian citizen because my parents were Slovenian. They just had to register me and that was it. That was the Slovenian law in those days. If it changed in upcoming years, that I don't know.PogiSloFans31-08-2026
- Pogi not being able to win????? ....ha ha ha ha ha ha .... If he didn't crash out, he would've won by at least 10 min. I know that hurts you, but I forgive you, cause you're a "poor minded" narrow Yankee.PogiSloFans31-08-2026
- Some think Pogi is arrogant and selfish... because he's winning too much. Two years ago some "fans" were spitting and throwing urine at MvDP in cyclocross just because he was winning too much. Isn't that sad Mr. MauMau alias Mause?PogiSloFans31-08-2026
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