Enric Mas limited his losses in the Jerez time trial, keeping a 1:37 advantage over Primoz Roglic. The Spanish rider now faces two mountain finishes before the Vuelta a España 2026 concludes in Granada.
Enric Mas finished the Jerez time trial still in red, holding a 1:37 lead over Primoz Roglic as the Vuelta a España 2026 heads into its final mountain stages. On a flat course that favored time trial specialists, Mas managed to limit his losses and keep his rivals at bay.
Stage 18 saw Roglic, Gall, and Mas start last among the general classification contenders, with Mas rolling down the ramp at 16:55, just after his closest competitors. The 32.1 km route from El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera was expected to be a tough test for climbers like Mas, putting him under pressure to defend his lead.
Stage winner Stefan Küng averaged 54.4 km/h over the 32.1 km course, finishing in 35:22.82 for his second Vuelta time trial victory.
Roglic, a four-time Vuelta winner and strong time trialist, was expected to take significant time from Mas. Still recovering from a recent crash, Roglic managed to gain only 33 seconds over Mas across the stage. He finished fourth, 19 seconds behind Stefan Küng, and now faces a difficult task with two summit finishes left.
Felix Gall, who started the day 2:06 behind Mas, lost 1:28 to Roglic and 55 seconds to Mas. Gall remains third overall, but his chances for the red jersey have faded, with Richard Carapaz further back. Gall now sits 3:01 off the lead, making a comeback unlikely. Before the stage, Gall was seen as the closest challenger, but the time trial widened the gap between him and the top two.
Switzerland’s Stefan Küng took the stage win, edging out Callum Thornley by three seconds and João Almeida by nine. Küng, a double European champion, now has two Vuelta time trial victories. He comes from Wil, the same Swiss town as two-time Vuelta winner Alex Zülle, who inspired Küng early in his career.
Before the stage, Roglic was widely considered the main threat to Mas, with expert previews noting he needed to gain around 2:10 to take the lead. However, after the time trial, all major sources agreed that Mas retained a healthy advantage and shifted the tactical focus to the upcoming mountain stages.
Mas’s ability to hold his lead on a course that didn’t suit him was the main story of the day. A tailwind helped, but his calm approach and smart pacing kept him in control. With two summit finishes—Peñas Blancas and the Collado del Alguacil—still to come, Mas’s rivals have little room to attack. His strong climbing so far means only a major setback would cost him the overall win in Granada.
The Vuelta’s final days now focus on whether Mas can finish the job. His 1:37 cushion over Roglic is significant, especially given his form in the mountains. The Jerez time trial was always the biggest threat to his lead, and he has come through it. Unless Roglic finds something extra, Mas is in the best position to win the Vuelta. The next two stages will decide if he can turn this advantage into victory.
