"The wind will blow hard again" - Marc Soler conquers chaotic day at Vuelta a Murcia and now looks to seal overall win

The Vuelta a Murcia 2026 opened on Friday, with an unusual stage. Strong winds forced the organizers to cut more than half the route. The race settled on an 83-kilometre course that encouraged attacks from the gun - and UAE Team Emirates - XRG did not miss a beat.

The victory went to Marc Soler, the standout rider of the day. But it all began with an opening move by Benoit Cosnefroy, a new Emirati signing this year. After he was reeled in, UAE put Soler up the road with Julius Johansen, and minutes later Tim Wellens also bridged across.

UAE Team Emirates - XRG had the stage in their hands, and knew they were the strongest outfit despite three Movistar Team riders also in the break: Raúl García Pierna, Juan Pedro López and Jefferson Cepeda. Marc Soler then settled it with a blistering attack just under 40 kilometers from the line.

The Spaniard rode clear with Julius Johansen, and no one could bring them back. At first, Soler even looked to be the one in trouble, but due to his climbing abilities, it was the logic decision for the Dane to to the bulk of the work before the small ascent that came with only 4 kilometers to the finish.

UAE sealed an impressive and deserved 1–2 at the finish, with Marc Soler crossing solo after moving clear on the Alto Virgen del Castillo with his teammate’s blessing. As a result, in his post-stage comments, the Emirati rider had only words of thanks for the work done.

“I’m very happy with the team’s work. From the start we were switched on at all times. Then, when the stage hit its key moment, Julius Johansen and I got away, and from there it was full gas to the line,” he described. But it wasn't only a key effort from Johansen that assisted with the win, but also the tactical work of Wellens both in the main and chasing groups.

“Tim Wellens helped us a lot throughout the stage. It was a great team job, and all that’s left is to congratulate everyone,” added Soler about his teammate’s strong ride, controlling and attacking when the moment demanded it.

The 40 seconds Soler got on the road over Tom Pidcock, and 1:01 minutes over the remaining closest competitors - plus bonifications - will have given the Catalan enough of a buffer to be the man to beat.

The final stage does feature some climbing and will put Soler to the test, but the 32-year old looked to be at his best today and won't be easy to dethrone.

“Tomorrow it’s about defending the general classification. We’ll see how we tackle the stage, because the wind will blow hard again. But we’re very motivated to give it everything,” concluded the stage 1 winner of the Vuelta a Murcia 2026.