"I’m really pleased to have finished Vuelta on such a high note" - Magnus Cort wraps up career with teammate's victory
Cycling
Magnus Cort Nielsen bid farewell to his professional career this Sunday, during the final stage of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana. The 33-year-old Dane went out swinging, finishing 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th in stages whilst being of help to his teammates when needed. Of course, the Danish champion was emotional at the start of his final professional race.
Before the stage got underway, Cort was surprised by his team Uno-X Mobility with speeches, applause, and a special shirt from Fusion featuring all his victories, clubs throughout his career and of course the Bornholm flag.
"That really moved me. It’s wonderful to see. That’s probably also why I’m so moved," Cort told TV 2 Sport with a broken voice.
End on a high
For Cort, it was a massive letdown when he went unselected for the World Championships in Montréal, where he would have wished to round off his career. Instead of throwing a tantrum, the Danish rider did the best possible at Vuelta with two podiums and further two top-5 results. In addition, his teammates celebrated two stage victories, underlining a successful Grand Tour for the Norwegian formation.
"I’m really pleased to have finished the Vuelta on such a high note. It’s not that it makes finishing any harder, but if things had gone to hell, it probably would have been easier not to give a damn," he says with a chuckle, before summing up: "But now we’re finishing on a high."
Peloton loses one of its greats
During his active career, Cort enjoyed 36 professional victories. His palmares include 9 Grand Tour triumphs - 6 at Vuelta a Espana, 2 at Tour de France and 1 at Giro d'Italia. Furthermore, Cort won Arctic Race of Norway in 2024, Veneto Classic the same year, or Clasica de Almeria in 2017.
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And yet, perhaps the biggest victory of his career came towards its very end. 15 years after he had became Danish champion in junior category, Cort finally managed to claim also the special jersey's elite version in Herning.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
- 36 and Ineos have bought a rider on the downward slope. Bring back Dave and Rob who could manage the team. How are Ineos going to win a grand tour with people past their sell by date.paultryan200214-11-2026
- Mmmm would he be making these comments when he was on the richest team when riding. I think not i suspect. If we want money put into the sport we need sponsors who are prepared to put the money in. No disrespect but his team are 2nd or 3rd div in football terms with riders over the hill or 2nd string riders. If i was a sponsor i would be looking at what publicity am i getting back and Tudor really are just making up the numbers really.paultryan200214-11-2026
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
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