Pablo Castrillo wins in Cuitu Negru! Spanish sensation takes second Vuelta victory as Enric Mas and Primoz Roglic take time on Ben O'Connor but Australian remains in red
Cycling
Ben O'Connor finishes the second week of the Vuelta a España in the red jersey after defending himself well in Cuitu Negru. Enric Mas and Primoz Roglic were strong on the day but the gaps were not huge; as Pablo Castrillo won stage 15 - his second of the week.
The stage had a very fast start and it took a long time for a breakaway to be formed in the 143-kilometer day. 20 riders are there ultimately including three UAE Team Emirates riders that were pushing the pace for GC contender Pavel Sivakov. The likes of Jack Haig and George Bennett were also present but dropped in the penultimate climb.
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UAE were the main driving force in the group, and after the Alto de la Colladiella only seven remained in front. Jay Vine, Pavel Sivakov, Bruno Armirail, Aleksandr Vlasov, Stefan Küng, Pablo Castrillo and Quentin Pacher.
Vine led most of the way and in the final climb Sivakov took over, aiming to climb into the Top10. Vlasov and Castrillo went with him. Movistar and EF briefly helped Quick-Step in the peloton but it was the Belgian team taking all responsibility. Mattia Cattaneo eventually led out an attack from Mikel Landa before the flat section in the Puerto de Pajares but Ben O'Connor responded and several GC rivals followed. The situation stabilized and the GC riders waited until the final 3 kilometers of the steep ascent.
Castrillo attacked at the base of the final 3 kilometers and got a gap over the other two but Vlasov managed to bridge across into the final kilometer. However in the insanely steep final ramps to the line the Spaniard managed to accelerate once again and drop the BORA rider to take his second win of the week and prove himself as the absolute breakthrough of the race.
In the peloton Roglic was also launched to attack at the base of the final kilometers but was then caught by Enric Mas who even dropped him. However in such steep gradients no-one exploded and the level was very similar among all favourites. Mas and Roglic arrived at the finish together but took only a few seconds on Ben O'Connor who defended the red jersey; with multiple riders hanging on to remain high up in GC.
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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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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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