“We expected the gap to be a little bigger” - Red Bull admit Primoz Roglic’s best chance to close on Enric Mas fell short at La Vuelta
Cycling
Primoz Roglic moved into second place at the 2026 Vuelta a Espana and kept his pursuit of a record fifth title alive with a strong Stage 18 time trial, although Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe admitted they expected to gain more than 33 seconds on race leader Enric Mas.
Roglic finished fourth across the 32.1km course from El Puerto de Santa Maria to Jerez de la Frontera, stopping the clock only 19 seconds behind stage winner Stefan Kung.
His performance carried him above Felix Gall in the general classification, but Mas limited his losses sufficiently to retain an advantage of 1:37.
Red Bull sports director Patxi Vila found no fault with Roglic’s ride. The Slovenian executed the course without any apparent technical errors and produced one of the fastest times of the day, only for Mas to exceed the team’s expectations.
Roglic delivers clean time trial but Red Bull wanted more
“Primoz rode a very good time trial,” Vila said after the stage. “I think he finished fourth. From the little I have spoken to him and the little I have been able to analyze, things went well. I think he rode a very good time trial, and we have to be happy with that.”
Roglic began strongly and had recovered 22 seconds from Mas by the opening checkpoint. That difference increased to 36 seconds after 22.1km, but the Slovenian surrendered three seconds during the final section and completed the stage 33 seconds ahead of the red jersey.
Red Bull had concentrated on delivering the strongest possible performance from Roglic rather than setting a precise target against Mas. “This morning I said that we can only control what we can control, and that means producing a very good or an excellent time trial,” Vila explained. “I think we did that, but Enric Mas did as well.”
Roglic fulfilled his side of that plan, but Mas’ performance prevented the four-time champion from cutting the overall deficit as deeply as his team had hoped. “The time we gained could perhaps have been more. We expected the gap to be a little bigger, but it is what it is,” Vila admitted.
Vila stressed that Roglic had not been hindered by a pacing mistake, technical problem, or error on the course. “Again, without having completed a very deep analysis, from what I have discussed with him, things went well and there were no mistakes,” he said. “Technically, he didn’t make any errors, so I think we have to be satisfied with that.”
“I would have signed for it”
Roglic’s presence in the fight for overall victory had been uncertain only weeks before the Vuelta. A pre-race car crash interrupted his preparation and temporarily left him unable to ride, raising doubts over whether he could challenge across three weeks.
He has now reached the final three stages in second place, ahead of Gall, Richard Carapaz and Oscar Onley. Vila insisted Red Bull would readily have accepted that position before the race began. “If you had told us when we arrived at this Vuelta that we would be where we are after this time trial, I would have signed for it,” he said.
That wider context prevented the team from viewing Stage 18 solely as a missed opportunity. Roglic gained time, improved his position, and completed the time trial without encountering any problems. “We have to be satisfied and look at things with optimism,” Vila added.
Record bid moves into the mountains
The remaining route gives Roglic two mountain stages in which to overturn the 1:37 separating him from Mas. Red Bull must now find the difference on terrain where the race leader has repeatedly proved strongest during this Vuelta.
“It’s clear that there are still two very hard stages, and anything can happen,” Vila said. “We’re not going to change everything at once. I don’t know exactly how it can all be turned around.”
Despite the size of the task, Red Bull have not reduced their ambition to defending second place. “We will try to win the Vuelta, and we’ll see whether we are capable,” Vila concluded.
Roglic begins Stage 19 at 1:37 behind Mas, with Gall a further 1:24 back in third place.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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