September 10, 2026 — Jerez de la Frontera, Spain — The 2026 Vuelta a España entered its decisive final phase on Thursday with Stage 18, an individual time trial that tested the riders over 32.1 kilometers from El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera.
Swiss time-trial specialist Stefan Küng delivered an impressive performance to win the stage in 35 minutes and 22 seconds. Britain's Callum Thornley finished second, three seconds behind, while Portugal's João Almeida took third, nine seconds off the winning time.
Küng Dominates the Time Trial
Stage 18 was one of the most important individual time trials of this year's Vuelta. The 32.1-kilometer course was predominantly flat, with only around 217 meters of elevation gain, making it particularly suitable for specialists in the discipline.
Stefan Küng of Tudor Pro Cycling Team confirmed his status as one of the world's leading time-trial riders. The Swiss rider completed the course in 35:22 at an average speed of approximately 54.4 km/h, beating the young British rider Callum Thornley by three seconds.
The victory marked Küng's second Vuelta a España stage win. His previous victory came in the final individual time trial of the 2024 Vuelta in Madrid. Two years later, he once again demonstrated his strength against the clock by producing the fastest performance in Jerez.
Thornley also produced an impressive ride. The Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider stopped the clock at 35:25 to finish second, while João Almeida of UAE Team Emirates-XRG completed the podium in 35:31, nine seconds behind Küng.
Roglič Closes the Gap, but Mas Keeps the Red Jersey
While Küng's stage victory was the headline result, the most important battle of the day was for the general classification.
Enric Mas started the stage in the red leader's jersey, while four-time Vuelta champion Primož Roglič was expected to take advantage of his strong time-trial ability to reduce the gap.
Roglič delivered the strongest performance among the general-classification contenders. The Slovenian finished fourth on the stage in 35:41, 19 seconds behind Küng. More importantly, he gained 33 seconds on Enric Mas, moving into second place overall.
Mas, however, produced a highly competitive ride despite not being considered a specialist in individual time trials. The Movistar Team rider finished 12th, limiting his losses to Roglič and successfully defending his overall lead.
As a result, Mas enters the final mountain stages with a 1 minute 37 second advantage over Roglič. Austrian rider Felix Gall remains third overall at 3:01 behind the leader.
General Classification Tightens Before the Final Mountain Battles
After Stage 18, Enric Mas remains at the top of the general classification with a total time of 60 hours, 45 minutes and 58 seconds.
Primož Roglič is now second at +1:37, followed by Felix Gall at +3:01. Richard Carapaz sits fourth at +5:17, while Britain's Oscar Onley occupies fifth at +6:03.
General Classification After Stage 18
| Position | Rider | Nationality | Time Gap |
| 1 | Enric Mas | Spain | — |
| 2 | Primož Roglič | Slovenia | +1:37 |
| 3 | Felix Gall | Austria | +3:01 |
| 4 | Richard Carapaz | Ecuador | +5:17 |
| 5 | Oscar Onley | Great Britain | +6:03 |
The result leaves Mas in a strong position, particularly because the next stages return to terrain more suited to climbers. However, with Roglič only 1:37 behind, the overall victory remains far from decided.
Van Aert Continues to Lead the Points Classification
The battle for the green jersey also remains an important storyline as the Vuelta approaches its conclusion.
Wout van Aert continues to lead the points classification. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider currently holds a 67-point advantage over teammate Matthew Brennan.
Although Stage 18 was primarily a showcase for time-trial specialists, the remaining mountain stages could still influence the points classification as riders fight for intermediate and stage points.
Two Crucial Mountain Stages Remain
With Stage 18 complete, the Vuelta has entered its final three days of racing, and the decisive battles for the red jersey are now expected to take place in the mountains.
Stage 19 on September 11 will cover approximately 210.8 kilometers from Vélez-Málaga to Peñas Blancas in Estepona. The stage finishes with a demanding mountain-top finish, making it a crucial opportunity for Roglič and the other general-classification contenders to attack Mas.
Compared with the flat individual time trial in Jerez, Stage 19 will provide a completely different challenge. The riders will face several climbs before tackling the final ascent to Peñas Blancas.
The following mountain stage will be another major test before the race reaches its final destination in Granada on September 13. For Mas, the objective will be clear: defend his advantage and remain in the red jersey through the final mountain battles.
Conclusion
Stage 18 of the 2026 Vuelta a España delivered a compelling individual time trial and significantly reshaped the general-classification battle.
Stefan Küng claimed the stage victory in 35:22, with Callum Thornley finishing second at three seconds and João Almeida third at nine seconds.
For the overall classification, Primož Roglič successfully reduced the gap to Enric Mas by 33 seconds, but Mas responded strongly enough to retain the red jersey. The Movistar rider now leads Roglič by 1:37, with Felix Gall third at 3:01.
With two major mountain stages still to come, the fight for the 2026 Vuelta a España title remains wide open. Mas has the advantage, but Roglič and the other contenders will have one final opportunity to challenge the race leader before the final finish in Granada.
