Enric Mas finished the Jerez time trial still in red, holding a 1:37 lead over Primoz Roglic as the Vuelta a España 2026 moves into its final mountain stages. The flat course favored time trial specialists, but Mas limited his losses and kept his rivals at bay.
Stage 18 saw Mas join Roglic and Gall among the last general classification contenders to start. Mas rolled 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 test climbers like Mas, putting him under pressure to defend his lead.
Roglic, a four-time Vuelta winner and strong time trialist, was expected to take impressive time from Mas. Still recovering from a recent crash, he gained only 33 seconds over Mas on the stage. Roglic finished fourth, 19 seconds behind Stefan Küng, and now faces a difficult task with two summit finishes left. Before the stage, Cyclingnews reported that Roglic needed to gain around 2:10 to take the lead.
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 of taking 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 to the top two.
Switzerland’s Stefan Küng took the stage win, edging out Callum Thornley by three seconds and João Almeida by nine. Küng averaged 54.4 km/h over the 32.1 km course and finished in 35:22.82 for his second Vuelta time trial victory. A double European champion, he comes from Wil, the same Swiss town as two-time Vuelta winner Alex Zülle, who inspired Küng early in his career.
Mas’s ability to hold his lead on an ill-suited course was the basic story of the day. A tailwind helped, while his calm approach and smart pacing kept him in control. Two summit finishes, Peñas Blancas and the Collado del Alguacil, remain, leaving Mas’s rivals 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 will determine whether Mas can finish the job. His 1:37 cushion over Roglic is impressive, especially given his form in the mountains. The Jerez time trial posed 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 whether he can turn this advantage into victory.
