"That is all we wanted to achieve" - Does Felix Gall believe Vuelta victory is out of reach?
CyclingFriday, 04 September 2026 at 01:00
Felix Gall, after the departure of Tadej Pogacar from the Vuelta a España, became perhaps the biggest favourite to win the overall classification. However, the Decathlon CMA CGM Team hasn't been able to make the difference in the mountains as he hoped for, and might have hinted that the podium is the new goal.
Into Calar Alto, all GC teams knew they had to have men in the breakaway of the day, and did so almost without exception. Decathlon had Léo Bisiaux, whose GC ambitions made him a secondary threat to the Top10. The French team, in stage 9, deployed all their resources into providing a leadout for Gall, but that attacked yielded no benefits.
Bisiaux was in the breakaway this Thursday afternoon, but the French still kept a lot of powder dry in the peloton. After not working throughout the entire stage, a four-man leadout train took the head of the small GC group at the base of the final climb.
Full leadout for Gall's attack
Callum Scotson and Gregor Muhlberger launched Gall into his attack - whilst Matthew Riccitello cold not hit the front of the group. But this work proved senseless in what appeared to be an attempt to take time on Enric Mas and Primoz Roglic, his rivals in the fight for victory.
Whilst everyone else was dropped, the Austrian could not drop his two main rivals, and shortly after Mas himself attacked.
“He attacked at the perfect moment. His level is high; he has shown that right from the start," Gall said of Mas. It seems like he handles the pressure of the red jersey well. Mentally, he is doing well".
Is a podium the new goal for Gall?
The pure climber then did most of the work in the group, later being joined by Muhlberger from behind and Bisiaux who had been in the day's breakaway. He spent a considerable amount of time in the wind, prompting a lot of discussion on Decathlon's tactics, having apparently been overpowered by Movistar despite having a stronger collective.
But at the finish, Gall didn't appear too bothered, and claims that the day's gol has been achieved. “The goal was to drop one of the riders who are still fighting for the podium".
Felix Gall during the Vuelta a Espana
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Gall referred to Oscar Onley, who crashed earlier in the day and was then dropped on the final climb. Gall did, at the end, gain almost two minutes on the INEOS rider.
“Unfortunately, Oscar crashed. We were able to drop him; that is all we wanted to achieve. It was a good day for us".
Gall lost 27 seconds to Enric Mas, whom he should lose some time to in the time trial - whilst to Primoz Roglic the difference should be meaningful. Gall states that by trying to distance Onley, the priority might actually be the team's new priority.
"I had to do a lot of work on the climb. It was a very tough day. In the end, not many guys were left, but we did well. I feel a bit tired, but so far it’s going well,” he concluded.
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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