"It's a real shame that Tadej had to abandon" - Andreas Leknessund moves into the KOM classification lead

Cycling
Saturday, 29 August 2026 at 23:00
Leknessund Vuelta 2026
Andreas Leknessund was on a high ever since stage 7 victory. Thanks to that result, Leknessund also wore polka dot jersey in today's stage, although merely as a substitute for the jersey's rightful holder Tadej Pogacar. But from today onwards, the Norwegian now leads the competition without any extra steps.
Leknessund's victory on Aramón Valdelinares was well-deserved. The Uno-X Mobility moderated the stage alongside teammate Tobias Halland Johannessen and Wout Van Aert from first kilometers to force a strong breakaway which held off its chasers on final ascent.
"Last night I had a great evening, and this morning I felt really good too. I didn't sleep much, but that's how it is," Leknessund said after the eighth stage.

The true King of the Mountains

Leknessund collected 19 KOM points during stage 7 - enough to put him in the runner-up position behind Pogacar. Normally, he'd continue to carry the leader's jersey in Slovenian's place also in stage 9. But the unforeseen events of Pogacar's abandon suddenly move Leknessund into the lead of the 'King of the Mountains' competition.
Andreas Leknessund in action on Stage 7 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana
Andreas Leknessund in action on Stage 7 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana
Unlike a vast part of the peloton, Leknessund himself avoided all pitfalls of today's stage to navigate home safely in his special jersey.
"The day went well, despite all the crashes. I'm happy to have finished. I was lucky enough to wear the polka dot jersey today instead of Tadej [Pogacar]. It was a great experience. I was hoping to wear it again tomorrow and now I'm leading the classification, but it's a real shame that Tadej had to abandon after his crash."
In the upcoming stage 9, it won't be easy to keep the situation in mountain classification fully under control. A total of 36 points are available to whoever would dare to win all the classified mountain sprints. And, for Leknessund, the stage might be a tad bit too difficult if strong climbers join the breakaway too.
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