The 2024 Vuelta a España is wide open into the final week. Without the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, we have had one of the most open Grand Tours in recent years and entering the final week it is still far from clear who the final winner will be. But we take a look at the contenders.
Ben O'Connor enters stage 16 in the race lead, with 1:03 minutes over his closest competitor. The Australian benefited from a massive time gain from a breakaway on stage 6 which reminds us of Sepp Kuss' triumph last year. A great climber, but inconsistent in this race. He lost a lot of time at Pico Villuercas, Sierra di Cazorla and Puerto de Ancares; but hung on with his rivals very well in Granada and Cuitu Negru. A great climber at his best level, but an absolute wildcard still with three high-mountain stages to go.
Primoz Roglic is second in GC, 1:03 minutes behind O'Connor. Thus far, the strongest climber in the race, but in Granada he was dropped by Mas quite comfortably. It is obvious that in the time-trials and explosive climbs he is the strongest and can take time, but in the high mountains this is not so much the case. His 20-second penalization atop Cuitu Negru meant he lost time to Mas and only gained 18 seconds on O'Connor... He no longer has explosive stages to take time on his rivals.
Enric Mas sits third, 2:23 minutes away from O'Connor and 1:20 from Roglic. In Granada, he won a minute to both in the climb to the Alto de Hazallanas. Having experienced a bad day in Puerto de Ancares he lost crucial time, but he is still very much in the fight for the win. Motivated, in great form and with three stages where he can make the difference, it's far from over for the Spaniard.
Richard Carapaz is fourth, only 21 seconds behind Mas. He does not have a luxury team to support him, but in Granada his GC raid was amazing and gained him several minutes. He hasn't made the difference in other summit finishes but clearly carries good form and another day as in Granada can have him jump into the red jersey.
Mikel Landa finally is another 21 seconds behind Carapaz. The time-trial may be an issue for the Basque, but he is a pure climber who usually thrives in the final week of the race. He has three pure mountain stages left and has put in strong performances this race which can have him threaten the rest of the competition.
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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- PogiSloFansUpToDate: The Tadej Pogačar Foundation has awarded scholarships for the 2026/2027 school and academic year in Slovenia. It received more than 60 applications from young people who have faced cancer, and all of them were approved. This year, Pogi's Foundation has therefore signed scholarship agreements with 63 recipients, totalling €166,000. This is almost double last year’s amount, when it awarded 35 scholarships worth €94,000. Pogačar: "We believe in you and your dreams. Now I’m cheering for you."PogiSloFans12-11-2026
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