Granada was decked in red on Sunday after Enric Mas secured his first Vuelta a España title of his cycling career.
A total of 184 riders started the race and faced 3,275 kilometres of demanding terrain. La Vuelta ranked among the steepest Grand Tours of the year and one of the toughest editions in its history.
The three-week race delivered heat, hail and heartbreak. Mas overcame every challenge to claim the title. His victory marked a major moment for Team Movistar and Spanish cycling.
Mas takes La Vuelta, finally
Tadej Pogacar entered this year’s race with a major goal. The Slovenian wanted to complete his collection of Grand Tour titles. Jonas Vingegaard had already added the Giro d’Italia to his record earlier in the year.
However, a serious crash forced Pogacar to leave the race during the opening week. His withdrawal opened the battle for La Roja and changed the overall classification.
Mas had held second place in the standings at that stage. He quickly showed that he could handle the pressure.
The Spanish rider won stage nine and moved into a strong position. Mas and Team Movistar then focused on protecting their advantage over their closest rivals.
Primož Roglič of Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe and Felix Gall of Decathlon CMA CGM Team continued to challenge Mas. However, Mas stayed calm throughout the final stages.
By the end of stage 20 on Saturday, Mas had built a lead of more than two minutes over Roglič. That advantage gave him a clear path to overall victory.
“I was looking for this win, the team needed a victory like this one, and now we’ve got it,” Mas said during a short press conference on Sunday.
“It’s a day to remember, a great day. There’s always a great deal of tension on the final day about what can happen. It was a long wait and a long way to get to today.”
“This is a very special one.”
Mas crossed the finish line on Sunday wearing the red jersey. He then stood on the top step of the podium in Granada.
The victory completed a long journey for the Spanish rider. Mas had previously finished second or third at La Vuelta in 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Roglič ‘happy’ in second
Primož Roglič finished second, while Felix Gall took third place on the final podium.
Roglič knows the roads of Spain well. The Slovenian had already won La Vuelta four times before this edition.
His participation in the race remained uncertain until the final stages of preparation. An injury during training had raised concerns about his condition.
Despite those difficulties, Roglič felt proud of his performance.
“The result at the end is beautiful, it’s a win for me,” he told TNT Sports after stage 21.
“The approach to it was hard, and I could never really expect to achieve this at the end.”
Roglič may have missed out on a fifth Vuelta title, but his runner-up finish gave him another strong result in one of cycling’s biggest races.
Unfinished business no more for Team Visma Lease-a-Bike
Mas was not the only rider to complete a redemption story at this year’s Vuelta.
Team Visma Lease-a-Bike rider Wout van Aert finished the race in the green jersey. He won the points classification after previously losing the jersey following a crash at the 2024 edition of La Vuelta.
Van Aert described the result as an important personal achievement.
“In a way, yes, this is finished business after crashing out with the green jersey in 2024,” Van Aert said after the finale.
“After winning the green jersey in the Tour [2022], this was also something that I really wanted to win one day.”
His young teammate Matthew Brennan also made a strong impression. Brennan won stages 16 and 17 with impressive sprint performances.
Those victories took his total to five stage wins during his Grand Tour debut.
Team Visma Lease-a-Bike also produced a memorable team performance on stage 20. The riders worked together to help 2023 Vuelta winner Sepp Kuss climb Collado del Alguacil.
Their effort helped Kuss move into fifth place in the overall standings.
“This was an example of how we race as a team. This is our identity,” Kuss said in a press release.
“I didn’t feel alone for a single moment today. We wanted to give it everything one more time, and it worked out well.”
Tears of joy and heartbreak
The final week of La Vuelta delivered plenty of drama and memorable performances.
Oscar Onley of Netcompany INEOS emerged as the best young rider. He secured the youth classification after a strong performance throughout the race.
Stefan Küng of Tudor Pro Cycling Team also produced an impressive ride. He won the time trial after beating Roglič’s teammate Callum Thornley.
However, Küng could not continue his challenge the following day and left the race.
Eddie Dunbar of Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team claimed stage 19. He attacked more than 300 metres from the finish and held on for a surprise victory.
His win left King of the Mountains winner Santiago Buitrago of Bahrain Victorious in tears.
Granada then provided another opportunity for Tobias Halland Johannessen of Uno-X Mobility. The Norwegian had finished second on several stages in both the Tour de France and La Vuelta.
His performance helped cap a memorable WorldTour debut for Uno-X Mobility.
Stage 20 also produced an emotional victory for Mikel Landa of Soudal Quick-Step. The Spaniard launched a solo attack and held on for a spectacular win.
Landa dedicated the victory to his children. He wanted the result to show the importance of perseverance and never giving up.
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