“I don't think Primoz is too bothered” - Adam Blythe questions if Roglic and Red Bull are stressing over Enric Mas' Vuelta advantage
Cycling
Primoz Roglic slipped from second to third overall on La Pandera and now trails Enric Mas by 2:10, but Adam Blythe believes the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe leader still has little reason to panic heading into the final week of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana.
Mas and Felix Gall put 25 seconds into Roglic on the final climb of Stage 14, with Gall moving four seconds ahead of the Slovenian into second overall.
It was another gain for Mas after successive mountain stages in which the red jersey has managed to increase his advantage, yet the 32-kilometre individual time trial from El Puerto de Santa Maria to Jerez de la Frontera remains looming on Stage 18.
“I don't think Primoz is going to be too bothered by that,” Blythe said on TNT Sports’ The Breakaway. “But Mas, going into the final week, I think that's something he'll take very, very positively, and his team as well.”
Red Bull can still look towards the time trial
Roglic has repeatedly built Grand Tour challenges around his strength against the clock, and Stage 18 now carries even more importance after the seconds conceded on La Pandera.
For Red Bull, that gives the final week a different complexion to one in which Roglic would have no major opportunity remaining to recover time outside the mountains. “We keep talking about it, keep stressing about it, but this time trial, we’re expecting Primoz to do a big, big ride,” Blythe said. “I don’t think Primoz will be too stressed.”
Mas therefore takes a 2:10 advantage over Roglic into the final week, while Gall has inserted himself between the pair after one of his strongest climbing performances of the race.
Roglic is widely expected to make big gains in the Stage 18 time trial
Gall moves ahead despite Decathlon setback
Gall’s gain came only a day after Decathlon CMA CGM Team lost Gregor Muhlberger, one of his most important mountain domestiques, following a crash on Stage 13.
The Austrian still matched Mas when the red jersey accelerated on La Pandera and opened 25 seconds on Roglic by the finish. “Let’s not forget they've lost Muhlberger, so a key part of their team has left, but he's back today taking time,” Blythe said.
Gall now sits 2:06 behind Mas and four seconds ahead of Roglic, with the time trial presenting a very different challenge to the climbing terrain where he has repeatedly looked strong. “For Gall it’ll give him confidence that he can put distance into Roglic when he needs to.”
Roglic heads into Stage 15 third overall for the first time in this Vuelta, with 2:10 to recover on Mas and the race’s 32-kilometre individual time trial still four stages away.
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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