Results Vuelta a Espana 2026 Stage 21 | Enric Mas ends 12-year Spanish Red Jersey wait as Tobias Johannessen wins dramatic Granada finale

Enric Mas has won the 2026 Vuelta a Espana, ending Spain's 12-year wait for a home winner as Tobias Halland Johannessen claimed the final stage in a dramatic Granada finale. Mas safely completed Stage 21 to seal the biggest victory of his career, finishing the race 2:15 ahead of Primoz Roglic and 2:44 clear of Felix Gall.

The Movistar leader had taken possession of the red jersey following Tadej Pogacar's race-ending crash on Stage 8 and strengthened his grip with victory on Alto de Aitana the following day. From there, Mas resisted every remaining challenge across the mountains and the Stage 18 individual time trial to finally convert three previous Vuelta runner-up finishes into overall victory.

His triumph makes him the first Spanish winner of the race since Alberto Contador in 2014.

While Mas celebrated further down the road, Johannessen delivered the final stage victory for Uno-X Mobility after emerging from a highly selective fight on Granada's repeated Alhambra circuit. Alessandro Romele finished second for XDS Astana Team, with Ramses Debruyne completing the podium for Alpecin-Premier Tech.

Much of the opening half of Stage 21 unfolded as a traditional Grand Tour procession, with Movistar controlling a relaxed peloton on the approach to Granada. The racing changed once the riders began their four laps of the local circuit and its 2.1-kilometre climb towards the Alhambra.

Groupama-FDJ raised the pace on the second ascent through Bastien Tronchon, putting several of the more traditional sprinters under immediate pressure. Jordi Meeus was among those dropped before a nine-rider group escaped containing Matthew Brennan, Thibau Nys, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Finn Fisher-Black, Milan Vader, Axel Laurance, Tronchon, Romele and Leo Bisiaux.

Further riders subsequently bridged across, with Santiago Buitrago among those helping form a larger front selection while the main GC group dropped around a minute behind.

That effectively separated the two remaining battles. The general classification was frozen as the leaders began the final lap with 9.8 kilometres remaining, officially securing Mas' overall victory, while the riders ahead were left to fight for the stage.

The final ascent immediately produced another round of attacks. Pau Miquel accelerated before Pello Bilbao countered on the final Grand Tour stage of his career. Bilbao opened a useful advantage, while behind him Wout van Aert began to struggle and was eventually dropped from the fight for victory.

Axel Laurance bridged across to Bilbao before continuing alone over the top, but the Frenchman's advantage proved difficult to maintain on the fast run back towards Granada.

Brennan, meanwhile, had initially been distanced from the front selection before fighting his way back on the descent alongside Nys. That left the five-time stage winner as the obvious danger once a group of around 10 riders came back together, and his rivals repeatedly forced him to respond.

Paret-Peintre and Laurance attacked with four kilometres remaining, with Brennan himself closing the move. Bilbao tried again shortly afterwards, but the repeated accelerations continued without anybody immediately escaping.

Debruyne finally forced the decisive split inside the final two kilometres. Johannessen and Romele were able to follow as Brennan was left chasing behind, and the trio opened enough daylight to ensure the stage would be decided between them.

Romele launched the sprint first on the final straight, but Johannessen came through to take victory, with Debruyne third. For Johannessen, the win capped an impressive final weekend after he had already finished second behind Mikel Landa on Stage 20.

Brennan was denied a sixth victory and Van Aert a third, leaving Team Visma | Lease a Bike on seven stage wins for the race, but Granada ultimately belonged to Johannessen on the road and Mas in the overall classification.

Mas crossed the finish as Vuelta champion after three weeks in which the race changed dramatically around him, becoming the first Spaniard in 12 years to take the red jersey home.