"I knew this day would come sooner or later" - A là Pogacar, Jakob Omrzel leaves his footprint on La Vuelta's mountains
CyclingThursday, 03 September 2026 at 19:51
Jakob Omrzel is a major talent in pro cycling, having turned pro this year following a victory at the under-23 Giro d'Italia just over 12 months ago. It did not take long for the Slovenian to make a great impression in the Grand Tours, having taken his first win in one earlier than Tadej Pogacar did back in his day.
Bahrain - Victorious had three men in the breakaway and aimed for a stage win atop Calar Alto, the first of two mountain stages in the second week of the Vuelta. The Slovenian was simultaneously the biggest GC figure present in the front group, placing 10th at the start line.
Despite this, he was not chased throughout the day, and managed to rise up the rankings through good form but also perfect timing. In a breakaway of almost three dozen riders, Omrzel was the strongest.
Omrzel rides clear towards breakthrough win
On the Alto de Velefique his strengths already appeared clear, but on the second tough climb to Calar Alto, he left no doubts. The 20-year old managed to drop the competition on the steepest part of the climb and rode off into victory.
“I’m not entirely surprised, because I know how I’ve worked for this and I knew this day would come sooner or later," he said in a post-race interview. "But in my first Grand Tour, I hadn’t exactly counted on it".
"I felt really great today, and I still do. I’m not fucked, not tired. I don’t know either, but I’m just enjoying the moment right now.”
Jakob Omrzel rode to his first Grand Tour victory today at La Vuelta
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Bahrain - Victorious had Santiago Buitrago drop his GC ambitions and aim for the KOM classification, something which he managed to boost today with lots of points scored and a third place at the summit finish.
Pello Bilbao was present alongside the duo at the head of the race, meaning they effectively deployed their full mountain entourage in a breakaway that proved to be wildly successful.
Despite the different ambitions from Omrzel and Buitrago, there was no sacrifice from any of the two for the other. "We understand each other well within the squad. We work well together: like we’re playing on PlayStation. I’m really proud of how we rode.”
Omrzel with this move has ridden into sixth place on the overall classification, having gained over five minutes on Oscar Onley whose white jersey Omrzel can now potentially aim for.
And in addition to that, like his compatriot Tadej Pogacar, he is making his Grand Tour at La Vuelta and has taken his first Grand Tour win in Spain. He has done so even younger than his compatriot, who was forced to abandon this past week. “These kinds of statistics don’t say much, but it is of course very nice," he 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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