For The Love Of Cycling

Tadej Pogačar is out of the Vuelta a España following a crash.

Stage 9 takes the race 187.4km from La Vila Joiosa/Villajoyosa to Alte de Aitana, Costa Blanca across a mountain stage that has an elevation gain of 4,945m. With Movistar team rider Enric Mas holding the red jersey following yesterday's events, will he be able to maintain his position?

The peloton face six categorised categorised climbs, with more elevation than any other stage, and a summit finish at the Alto de Aitana in this stage of the Vuelta a España.

Ned Boulting and David Millar provide an update into Tadej Pogačar's injuries and also break down the latest stage of the Vuelta a España, which had a beautiful ebb and flow throughout the race.
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The Vuelta has turned completely on its head.

Stage 8 was supposed to be a relatively straightforward 171km run from Puçol to Xeraco, but with 32km still to race, everything changed when race leader Tadej Pogačar went down hard in the middle of the peloton.

Pogačar, who had held the red jersey since winning the opening time trial in Monaco, was left sitting on the road as the race doctors and UAE team staff attended to him. With deep cuts to his left shoulder and face, he eventually left the race in an ambulance with his arm in a sling, bringing his Vuelta to a sudden and dramatic end.

It's Pogačar's first abandonment from a Grand Tour and his first DNF since 2023, and it completely changes the shape of the race. Enric Mas takes over as the new race leader, although the Spaniard chooses not to wear the red jersey on the podium out of respect for Pogačar.

What does this mean for the Vuelta podium, and what does it mean for Pogačar’s goals of winning the big 3?

Ned Boulting breaks down Stage 8 of the Vuelta a España.

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🏅 For The Love Of Cycling is presented by Science in Sport, a pioneer in endurance fuelling: Backed by science. Trusted by athletes.

Find out more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Science In Sport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Andreas Leknessund takes his first Grand Tour stage victory in Stage 7 of the Vuelta a España

Stage 7 takes the race 149.7km from Vall d’Alba to Ramón Valdelinares, over the mountains with an ascent of 12,300 ft. The route starts off reasonably gently, but after 52 kilometres, the riders approach the first of the five mountain classifications of the day.

With UNO-X securing a Norwegian one-two, Andreas Leknessund wins stage 7: his first Grand Tour stage victory! Team-mate Johannessen ensures that Norwegian one-two on a day doused in mourning for Norway due to the passing of King Harald, making that victory feel particularly memorable.

We get into Leknessund’s attack, stats between Brennan, Pogačar & Merckx, and Pete even manages to sneak in a Christmas mention in August!

Ned Boulting and Pete Kennaugh break down Stage 7 of the Vuelta a España.

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🏅 For The Love Of Cycling is presented by Science in Sport, a pioneer in endurance fuelling: Backed by science. Trusted by athletes.

Find out more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Science In Sport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Pogačar is making this Vuelta look very difficult for everyone else.

Stage 6 takes the race 177.5km from Alcossebre to Castelló, with a punchy route that builds towards a brutal finale, including a gravel section with gradients reaching 20%. And, once again, the red jersey decides he wants to race it like a one-day Classic.

With UAE driving the pace and the break beginning to disappear, Pogačar launches his attack on the final climb and quickly opens a gap over the rest of the GC contenders. He hits the gravel alone and starts pulling away, but Enric Mas refuses to let him disappear. The Spaniard produces a huge chase and eventually makes contact with Pogačar near the top.

The two then work together over the final kilometres, with Mas putting himself in position to move into second overall. But there is a heart-in-mouth moment on the descent as Pogačar runs off the road after misjudging a corner, coming to a complete stop before getting back on his bike and rejoining Mas. Pogačar still has enough left to beat him in the final sprint and claim his third stage victory in just six days.

We get into Pogačar's attack, Mas' brilliant fightback, the chaos of the gravel and that near-crash on the descent, before looking at what another victory means for the GC race.

Ned Boulting and Pete Kennaugh break down Stage 6 of the Vuelta a España.

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🏅 For The Love Of Cycling is presented by Science in Sport, a pioneer in endurance fuelling: Backed by science. Trusted by athletes.

Find out more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Science In Sport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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Matthew Brennan is having some Grand Tour debut.

Just two days after taking his first Vuelta stage win, the 21-year-old Visma rider does it again in Roquetes, producing another brilliant sprint to make it two stage victories from the first five days of his first three-week Grand Tour.

Stage 5 takes the race 173.3km from Falset through the Costa Daurada and into the Terres de l'Ebre, with strong winds making for a nervous day and several splits in the bunch. Ethan Hayter finds himself on the wrong side of one of those echelons before fighting his way back into contention and eventually taking maximum points at the intermediate sprint.

The finale looks set for a chaotic sprint, but Visma have Brennan perfectly positioned. Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte deliver a superb lead-out, putting Brennan in exactly the right place for the final few hundred metres. Jordi Meeus and Vincenzo Albanese come closest, but Brennan finishes the job to claim another win.

We look at Brennan's remarkable start to the Vuelta, the strength of that Visma lead-out, Hayter's eventful day and what the result means for the race as Pogačar continues to hold a commanding lead in red.

Ned Boulting and Pete Kennaugh breakdown Stage 5 of the Vuelta a España.

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🏅 For The Love Of Cycling is presented by Science in Sport, a pioneer in endurance fuelling: Backed by science. Trusted by athletes.

Find out more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Science In Sport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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