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August 22, 2026
81st La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2026 🇪🇸 (2.UWT) ME – Stage 1 ITT – Monaco – Monaco : 9,4 km
Vuelta a España 2026 is a UCI WorldTour stage race run across varied Spanish terrain,
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August 22, 2026
81st La Vuelta Ciclista a España 2026 🇪🇸 (2.UWT) ME – Stage 1 ITT – Monaco – Monaco : 9,4 km
Vuelta a España 2026 is a UCI WorldTour stage race run across varied Spanish terrain, typically combining high mountains, rolling inland roads, technical city finishes, and exposed transitional stages that can all shape the general classification. The route usually asks riders to manage long climbs, steep ramps, heat, and late-race fatigue, with recovery between decisive stages becoming a central factor. Crosswinds on flatter days, narrow roads in historic towns, and sharp changes in gradient can make even moderate stages tactically tense. Race dynamics often revolve around team control in the mountains, breakaways seeking opportunities on transitional terrain, and repeated attacks on summit finishes or steep uphill drags. Typical stage profiles may include alpine-style climbing days, medium-mountain stages, sprint opportunities, and technical finales that reward good positioning. The finishing style varies widely, from bunch sprints on flatter stages to solo arrivals or small-group battles after selective climbs. The race favors consistency, climbing depth, and resilience across three demanding weeks.
Tadej Pogačar came into the Vuelta a España as one of the favourites to take the red leader’s jersey, and he is off to a promising start after winning the opening individual time trial in Monaco.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider and five-time Tour de France winner covered the 9.4km time trial with a winning time of 10:57, bumping Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep) out of the hot seat in the final moments of the stage.
He won the race against the clock by a fraction of a second ahead of Hayter and four seconds ahead of third-placed Joshua Tarling (Netcompany Ineos).
Pogačar will wear the leader’s jersey into stage 2, a 214.3km race from Monaco to Manosque on Sunday. Hatyer trails with the same time, while Tarling sits just four seconds back.
“It’s a weird feeling to win the time trial on the first stage and by such a small margin. I was not expecting it. I’m really happy. This red is a really nice colour,” Pogačar said.
“That 0.09 happened when I passed my apartment because that was the most technical part, and I walk and cycle there every day. Even though it is completely different in the race, still, you race on your home roads, and you know it super well, so that helped me today.”
Asked if he can hold the red jersey from start to finish, Pogačar said, “It’s going to be tough. Tomorrow, I think, there are some guys who are close in time and can do a breakaway or sprint for bonus seconds, so it’s going to be a fight for the red jersey and we can see some shuffle in the GC tomorrow.”
Roglič loses time in opening time trial
The 81st edition of the Vuelta a España kicked off in Monaco for the Gran Partida, with the first of two individual time trials in this year’s race. It was a 9.4km effort along a short and very technical course peppered with 13 corners, hairpins and roundabouts, three tunnels and short punchy climbs.
Time trial specialists off the starting ramp were Tarling, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ United) along with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and even Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), but all eyes were on GC favourite Pogačar, who is looking to claim his first career overall victory at the Vuelta a España this year.
Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma) was the first rider off the starting ramp, but after crossing the line with the first time of the day, it was quickly beaten by three riders in quick succession – Markel Beloki (EF Education-EasyPost), Rudy Porter (Jayco AlUla), then Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility).
A succession of new benchmarks came from Mathias Sunekær Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek) followed by 23-year-old Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon CMA CGM) and then his teammate Sander De Pestel, but Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) eclipsed them both with a time of 11:13. Arthur Kluckers (Tudor Pro Cycling) was the next to take the hotseat, riding five seconds faster than Brennan.
But that too was swept away by a better time from Oscar Chamberlain (Decathlon CMA CGM), coming in two seconds faster, and then quickly broken again by his teammate Léo Bisiaux by a fraction of a second, followed by Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) posting a time of 11:02.
Tarling was the first of the time trial favourites to finish and took the hotseat with a time of 11:01. But with riders like Pogačar, Roglič and Van Aert still to start, the time trial was far from over.
Hayter bumped Tarling out of the hotseat with a time of 10:57. It wasn’t to be for Van Aert, who crossed the line nine seconds down from Hayter, but still in the ballpark for other ambitions in upcoming stages.
Pogačar raced through the finish line, narrowly besting that time with a winning time of 10:57, just a fraction of a second faster than Hayter. As four-time Vuelta a España winner Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was the last rider to cross the line, 22 seconds slower, confirming Pogačar as the stage victor and race leader.
Results :
 ME - Stage 1 ITT </strong> - Monaco - Monaco : 9,4 km
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Vuelta a España 2026 is a UCI WorldTour stage race run across varied Spanish terrain, typically combining high mountains, rolling inland roads, technical city finishes, and exposed transitional stages that can all shape the general classification. The route usually asks riders to manage long climbs, steep ramps, heat, and late-race fatigue, with recovery between decisive stages becoming a central factor. Crosswinds on flatter days, narrow roads in historic towns, and sharp changes in gradient can make even moderate stages tactically tense. Race dynamics often revolve around team control in the mountains, breakaways seeking opportunities on transitional terrain, and repeated attacks on summit finishes or steep uphill drags. Typical stage profiles may include alpine-style climbing days, medium-mountain stages, sprint opportunities, and technical finales that reward good positioning. The finishing style varies widely, from bunch sprints on flatter stages to solo arrivals or small-group battles after selective climbs. The race favors consistency, climbing depth, and resilience across three demanding weeks.
Tadej Pogačar came into the Vuelta a España as one of the favourites to take the red leader's jersey, and he is off to a promising start after winning the opening individual time trial in Monaco.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider and five-time Tour de France winner covered the 9.4km time trial with a winning time of 10:57, bumping Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep) out of the hot seat in the final moments of the stage.
He won the race against the clock by a fraction of a second ahead of Hayter and four seconds ahead of third-placed Joshua Tarling (Netcompany Ineos).
Pogačar will wear the leader's jersey into stage 2, a 214.3km race from Monaco to Manosque on Sunday. Hatyer trails with the same time, while Tarling sits just four seconds back.
"It's a weird feeling to win the time trial on the first stage and by such a small margin. I was not expecting it. I'm really happy. This red is a really nice colour," Pogačar said.
"That 0.09 happened when I passed my apartment because that was the most technical part, and I walk and cycle there every day. Even though it is completely different in the race, still, you race on your home roads, and you know it super well, so that helped me today."
Asked if he can hold the red jersey from start to finish, Pogačar said, "It's going to be tough. Tomorrow, I think, there are some guys who are close in time and can do a breakaway or sprint for bonus seconds, so it's going to be a fight for the red jersey and we can see some shuffle in the GC tomorrow."
<strong>Roglič loses time in opening time trial</strong>
The 81st edition of the Vuelta a España kicked off in Monaco for the Gran Partida, with the first of two individual time trials in this year's race. It was a 9.4km effort along a short and very technical course peppered with 13 corners, hairpins and roundabouts, three tunnels and short punchy climbs.
Time trial specialists off the starting ramp were Tarling, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ United) along with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and even Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), but all eyes were on GC favourite Pogačar, who is looking to claim his first career overall victory at the Vuelta a España this year.
Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma) was the first rider off the starting ramp, but after crossing the line with the first time of the day, it was quickly beaten by three riders in quick succession - Markel Beloki (EF Education-EasyPost), Rudy Porter (Jayco AlUla), then Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility).
A succession of new benchmarks came from Mathias Sunekær Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek) followed by 23-year-old Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon CMA CGM) and then his teammate Sander De Pestel, but Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) eclipsed them both with a time of 11:13. Arthur Kluckers (Tudor Pro Cycling) was the next to take the hotseat, riding five seconds faster than Brennan.
But that too was swept away by a better time from Oscar Chamberlain (Decathlon CMA CGM), coming in two seconds faster, and then quickly broken again by his teammate Léo Bisiaux by a fraction of a second, followed by Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) posting a time of 11:02.
Tarling was the first of the time trial favourites to finish and took the hotseat with a time of 11:01. But with riders like Pogačar, Roglič and Van Aert still to start, the time trial was far from over.
Hayter bumped Tarling out of the hotseat with a time of 10:57. It wasn't to be for Van Aert, who crossed the line nine seconds down from Hayter, but still in the ballpark for other ambitions in upcoming stages.
Pogačar raced through the finish line, narrowly besting that time with a winning time of 10:57, just a fraction of a second faster than Hayter. As four-time Vuelta a España winner Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was the last rider to cross the line, 22 seconds slower, confirming Pogačar as the stage victor and race leader.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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