Results Vuelta a Murcia 2026 | Marc Soler takes solo win on stage 1 after UAE dominate crosswind chaos
CyclingFriday, 13 February 2026 at 15:56
The winds blew very hard today at the Vuelta a Murcia and a stage that featured only a few small climbs completely destroyed the peloton and has proved to be decisive for the overall classification. Marc Soler took the stage win and race lead after UAE Team Emirates - XRG mastered the chaotic race situation.
The stage in Murcia was at risk itself due to the extremely strong winds that were sweeping through the planned route. Around 100 kilometers were removed from it, and the stage did go forward but with a mere 83 kilometers to be raced. However, it's not because it was short that it wouldn't have an impact.
The rolling and uphill start saw big attacks right from the start, which combined with the crosswinds began splitting the peloton and seeing the strongest figures towards the front. With just over 10 kilometers of racing Movistar had three men in the breakaway with Raul García Pierna, Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda and Juan Pedro López, joined by UAE's Marc Soler and Julius Johansen; Quinten Hermans, Héctor Alvaréz, Luca Paletti and Kamil Gradek. Shortly after, Tim Wellens attacked from the peloton and bridged across to the front group.
The group of 10 riders managed to build a gap over the peloton where the chase was not perfectly organized, due to the changes in direction and the wind that did not calm down. However there were a few riders that looked not to work in the front group due to UAE and Movistar's large presence, and eventually UAE attacked with Soler and Johansen who then took over the head of the race. The average speeds were incredibly high and the duo managed to maintain the gap as the peloton began being torn to pieces in the crosswinds.
Soler was given free reign to take the win as Johansen did the biggest share of the work, and in the final small hilltop before reaching Yecla, the Spaniard went off to take the stage win, the eighth of the team this season despite Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro not having started their seasons yet. Johansen still resisted to second place whilst Tom Pidcock rode to third on the day, distancing the competition on the final climb which had several Bahrain - Victorious riders beforehand.
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- The thing is that until someone fails a test or is caught in some other way then riders should be considered innocent. However, when the climb times, level of competition, watts achieved and many other data points are taken into consideration and put in context with guys like Armstrong, whom they are kicking to 20th place on mountains he once dominated and held records on, when we know he was doping in his prime, it seems impossible that cheating at some level is not happening. I think a guy like Tadej is probably a guy who only comes along in two or three generations, looking at the way he wins across different cycling disciplines tells me this. Like everything else, time will tell the truth. I want guys like Tadej and Jonas to be clean and I hope they are, I'll keep believing anyway until someone who is really in the know, like a failed test or the UCI, tells me different.awp13-02-2026
- Stupid quote. There is not a single person who in their life has not been lied to, for different reasons: also self-defense, kindness, mercy with others, etc. Then is a world of unrepentant DANGEROUS liars? you included?. And why is this atmosphere of CONSTANT suspicion and accusation only applicable to cycling and not to all sports that have had mega doping scandals?
maria2024202413-02-2026 - What a wet stage. I love it when the breakaway wins, especially with a Conti rider. Fabulous!RidesHills13-02-2026
- The UAE Tour is now level on UCI points with the 7 major stage races, and looking at the 2026 route, I think it deserves it. Previously, it was comprised of 4 flat stages for the sprinters (with the opening stage to Liwa Palace being an uphill finish), 1 flat ITT, 1 shallow summit finish to Jebel Jais (which served only to kick out the non-GC contenders like Joshua Tarling, as it always ends in a sprint of the climbers) and 1 steep summit finish of Jebel Hafeet (where the GC is always decided). In this route, one flat sprint has been replaced with the hilly Fujairah stage, a novelty in the race, providing variation not normally seen here. The Jebel Jais stage has been replaced with the Jebel Yibir stage, and crucially this comes before the easier Jebel Hafeet stage (if it had been the other way round, riders would go easy on Jebel Hafeet). In addition to this, the opening and closing stages (Liwa Palace and the Abu Dhabi Breakwater) have become iconic. What's missing is that all the mountain stages have very little variation, all being unipuerto. Because they don't have big mountain passes, the solution is to make some of their big climbs into dual carriageways. Jebel Jais and Jebel Hafeet are already very wide. That also opens up the possibility of having mountain stages with flat finishes, which increases variation further. Of course there are the ethical issues of promoting further a race in such a country. The question would be if previous winners of the race will have their wins counted as triumphs in a major stage race. This race doesn't have the history but that can't be used as a defining metric because then there's no hope for any new race.
Rafionain-Glas13-02-2026 - Remco Mustafa is a f**** liar. He knew very well that Pogi will not race the UAE Tour. In December 2025 Pogi said, that he doesn't have a schedule yet but his first race will be Strade Bianche. After asked about the UAE Tour, he said NO, not next year. Capish, you Belgian Mustafa?Mou-Cro-HR13-02-2026
- Zonneveld is trying to make a name for himself attacking Pogacar like David Walsh of the Sunday Times attacked Pharmstrong all those years. Only difference really, at the end of all things Walsh was a damned fine investigative journalist.....slappers6613-02-2026
- What is the big deal I am 61 and put out 230 for a 3 hr ride . Do not know what the fuss is about🤣🤣🤣paultryan200213-02-2026
- What is the big deal I am 61 and put out 230 for a 3 hr ride . Do not know what the fuss is about🤣🤣🤣paultryan200213-02-2026
- Its great to see teams like EF Education, Jayco Alula and PicNicPost NL, the smaller budgeted teams, do well and the World Tour needs them. Cycling as a world sports interest is finished if we are left with two or three conglomerate teams winning everything.whit2pet13-02-2026
- This guy owns the team so it is relevant. Sorry but that sort of comment from Ratcliffe feeds into racism. Just look at how Trump has managed to divide the USA. on immigration. The UK reform leader does exactly the same thing. Racism disguisesd as free speech. Like it or not the reality is that the whole world since humans have inhabited this planet- immigration has been the norm.Cyclingsbestfan13-02-2026
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