As it happened: Crosswinds fail to materialise as the sprinters take stage 16 at the Vuelta a España

This is getting scrappy, UNO-X really fighting as the road narrows. QuickStep hit the front

2026-09-08T15:11:27.850Z

There’s a central reservation between the Soudal QuickStep part of the bunch and the rests of the peloton.

2026-09-08T15:10:54.315Z

UNO-X are at the front now, but still Visma maintain position, what a ride.

2026-09-08T15:10:18.864Z

At 500m to go we’ll see the final turn before the line, it’s a left hander, but it’s not a tight turn, though positioning here will be key.

2026-09-08T15:09:53.958Z

The pace is very high, but the race is strangely calm in the run up to the sprint finish.
Remember we have the roundabout at 1.4km to go.

2026-09-08T15:08:24.867Z

The road is very wide here and the peloton is seething with a number teams able to fight for position. This can be dangerous.

There’ll be no crosswind fun today, this is all set up for a bunch kick. Can Brennan make it four?

2026-09-08T15:05:22.870Z

A number of teams are up there, Visma, Bahrain Victorious, Red Bull among them. Soudal-QuickStep are there with their full team, Alberto Dainese their man for the sprint.

A group distanced by the crash have just got back on, at the front Netcompany-Ineos are there keeping the pace high and doing Visma’s work for them.
Of course they are executing their own plan as well.

2026-09-08T15:01:00.093Z

Round the roundabout and it’s virtually straight all the way now, the next right turn coming 1.4km from the line.
Red Bull are on the front, but Visma are close by. Van Aert is close to the front with Brennan on his wheel.

2026-09-08T14:59:02.733Z

Once they’re round they’ll have some protection in the trees, but it opens out.

2026-09-08T14:58:27.441Z

Coming to the almost dead turn roundabout now, it’s at 12km exactly.

2026-09-08T14:57:15.892Z

Once again Visma are in complete control, this bodes well for another win for the Dutch squad, but they’ve done a lot of work, other teams will be looking to take advantage of that.

Oliveira is up and riding again.
The roadside trees are moving in the wind, but so far they’re protecting the peloton and there’s no crosswind action.

2026-09-08T14:53:01.238Z

Visma are back at the front, controlling the pace and protecting Brennan. Cofidis are there too, with Bryan Coquard looking for a second stage win and a career second Grand Tour victory.

2026-09-08T14:51:04.798Z

Once again the road is well protected from any wind, but it’s not by the coast, with few in the way of buildings until very close to the finish.

2026-09-08T14:49:40.625Z

At 12km to go we go almost all the way round the roundabout and head towards the finish and into a cross headwind almost alongside the coast.

2026-09-08T14:48:15.060Z

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have taken control now, Visma have melted away. Are Red Bull working for a sprint or in the hope of splitting the race in the wind and taking time out of Enric Mas?

23km to goo and the final is beginning. This will be some sort of bunch sprint.

2026-09-08T14:44:38.101Z

A crash in town, with Ivo Oliveira down.
Just eight seconds for the breakaway now.

Into Palos de la Frontera and we have a couple of roundabout and tight turns as we head south-east and into a cross tail wind of around 25kph. Is that strong enough to cause problems?

2026-09-08T14:41:42.094Z

The gap has been allowed to increase again, it’s 31 seconds, they’ll reach the town at the front of the race.
Mind you, a lot of teams are fighting for their place on the road now.

2026-09-08T14:39:17.802Z

A roundabout with a touch more than 26km remaining sees the race head into the town of Palos de la Frontera, where there’s all the road furniture you’d expect in a town. It’s technical, with the threat of cross tailwinds straight afterwards.

2026-09-08T14:36:20.606Z

Will the breakaway be caught before they reach the town? That lead is coming down again, 19 secinds with 29km to go.

2026-09-08T14:33:54.143Z

Seems as though the break might be left to dangle for the while, they sitting just 30 seconds up the road with 31km to go.

2026-09-08T14:31:40.806Z

We’re alongside the estuary of the Rio Tinto, but the road is quite protected and there’s nothing doing in the crosswinds. So far.

The breakaway is within touching distance, just 30 seconds ahead of the peloton.

2026-09-08T14:28:10.332Z

The race has taken the turn and the oace is up, but iis the wind high enough. Surely someone will try something.

2026-09-08T14:26:59.354Z

The next roundabout is where those crosswinds will start, the buch are leaving nothing to chance and they have the breakaway in sight.

2026-09-08T14:23:28.587Z

The racing will get very interesting very soon, in the village of Barrohondo when they sweep left at a roundabout and the crosswinds hit from the right side.

2026-09-08T14:21:10.007Z

24 seconds for the leading group now with 40km to go.

Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ United), Simon Dalby (UNO-X Mobility), Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco-AlUla) and Roland Thalmann (Tudor ProCycling) have been up the road all day, but there was never much hope they’d stay away.

The breakaway have fought valiantly, but they’re being brought back now. Their lead is below 40 seconds.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-09-08T14:04:06.658Z

Visma have reinforcements at the front now, Cofidis are there and even Primož Roglič’s Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe squad are close by.
Under 40 seconds for the breakaway

2026-09-08T14:00:48.904Z

For the first time the leaders’ advantage drops below one minute, Vermaerke, Madouas, Dalby, Sütterling and Thalmann lead by only 50 seconds with 55km to go.

2026-09-08T13:54:46.571Z

There’s a short ‘climb’ coming up now, it’s nothing serious, just 4.5km averaging 2.4% gradient, it won’t trouble anyone in the race.

2026-09-08T13:50:43.997Z

No surprise but it’s getting warmer as we head south and closer to the coast. It’s now 36º, warmer than forecast.

We’re in Villarrasa for the intermediate sprint.
1. Vermaerke
2. Sütterlin
3. Thalmann

There are 66km remaining of stage 16.

The race has settled again with Visma having brought the deficit to the breakaway to 1:30.

2026-09-08T13:30:53.329Z

A bit of an issue for UAE Team Emirates’ rider Doman Novak who had a musette stuck in a wheel. He’s and going though.

2026-09-08T13:29:27.310Z

We’re descending from the hilly section of the race now and the next 80km are very flat indeed. the wind is still blowing, though it’s only around 20kph inland.

2026-09-08T13:24:41.323Z

The gap has settled now, and the peloton sit 1:25 behind the leading group of Vermaerke, Madouas, Dalby, Sütterling and Thalmann.
Meanwhile Timo Roosen has abandoned, leaving Picnic-PostNL with only four riders.

2026-09-08T13:19:32.724Z

Why are Visma bringing the break back so soon?
The chances are they want to get breakaway into a more controllable position, but not so close that others can bridge across and create chaos.

2026-09-08T13:14:33.523Z

It’s 35º out there now, that’s hot.
Visma-Lease a Bike seem to be in control though.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The leaders’ advantage is really coming down now, they’re only 1:30 ahead.

With 100km to go there’s plenty of time for the sprinters’ teams to bring this break back, but the gap is very gradually being whittled away.
Vermaerke, Madouas, Dalby, Sütterling and Thalmann are 2:02 ahead.

2026-09-08T12:55:37.441Z

A few months older than Sütterlin, Swiss rider Roland Thalmann is 33, but only began at ProTeam level in 2023. His only career win came in 2022, taking a stage in the 2.2 level Tour d’Alsace.

2026-09-08T12:52:23.624Z

At only 23, Simon Dalby is the youngest in the leading group and is an accomplished climber. In his second year at WorldTour level, the Dane is also a serial breakaway rider, up the road on stage 13 and in other stage races this year.

2026-09-08T12:47:07.443Z

Today isn’t the first breakaway for Sütterlin, he was up the road on stages 14 and 10. the 33-year-old is super strong, has a huge engine and is very experienced.

2026-09-08T12:42:19.241Z

It’s warming up too, it’s 34º and approaching the maximum forecast temperature.

That split in the bunch has been repaired, and the bunch have trimmed a little off the breakaway’s advantage. They have 2:10.

2026-09-08T12:35:27.122Z

We have a split in the bunch. They’ve come over a small climb but the gradients aren’t too steep and the descent is far from technical.

2026-09-08T12:33:10.266Z

Of the other breakaway riders, Madouas is the most successful in terms of victories. The Frenchman has seven to his name, though the 2023 Bretagne Classic is his most recent.
He’s a one team man too, he joined Groupama in 2018.

2026-09-08T12:28:23.143Z

The breakaway’s advantage really has settled now, Vermaerke, Madouas, Dalby, Sütterling and Thalmann lead by 2:40.

2026-09-08T12:23:07.796Z

Maybe Coquard’s Cofidis squad will lend a hand, they did on Sunday’s stage into Córdoba. What about Groupama-FDJ United?

With our five leaders now 2:24 up the road, this group is well and truly away and we have a classic sprint stage.
But can Visma control this all alone? Who will help them?

2026-09-08T12:09:34.372Z

Well, we definitely have a breakaway, our five leaders are now 2:20 up the road and it seems their advantage has settled there.
If you missed it, this is who they are.

Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ United), Simon Dalby (UNO-X Mobility), Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco-AlUla) and Roland Thalmann (Tudor ProCycling).

Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ United), Simon Dalby (UNO-X Mobility), Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco-AlUla) and Roland Thalmann (Tudor ProCycling) lead by 1:20

2026-09-08T11:40:16.242Z

Whoever’s doing the chasing, the breakaway’s lead is increasing. It’s now 1:10 seconds. Is it all done so quickly?

2026-09-08T11:39:15.010Z

The gap is creeping up, but they are being chased, with Visma-Lease a Bike and – strangely – UNO-X at the front. It could be that the Scandinavian team are interfering with the chase.

We’ve got some reasonably steep ramps here, well into double figures, ad we have five clear.
Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ United), Simon Dalby (UNO-X Mobility), Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco-AlUla) and Roland Thalmann (Tudor ProCycling) have only 15 seconds.

2026-09-08T11:32:55.881Z

Now we have another group with a tiny advantage, this time it’s five riders.

2026-09-08T11:30:21.473Z

And that group of eight?
They’re caught.

2026-09-08T11:29:52.954Z

Bryan Coquard is one of only two sprinters not in the Vimsa-Lease a Bike team to have won one of the bunch sprints in this Vuelta, so naturally the Cofidis rider was in demand this morning.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-09-08T11:25:27.068Z

And there they go! Eight riders are trying to get away.

2026-09-08T11:22:56.181Z

Almost all the climbing comes in the opening half of the stage and after the downhill start the rolling terrain starts.
With 5km done, that’s where we are now, so expect the attacks to begin.

Let’s go. 181.1km of racing ahead of us, and it’s a down hill start.

2026-09-08T11:07:03.135Z

And we’re rolling! We have 4.6km of neutral before we get going. The day after the rest day will there be a huge fight for the break, or will teams accept that a bunch finish is inevitable?

2026-09-08T11:01:50.921Z

Primož Roglič is one of the favourites for the Thursday’s time trial, but can he gain enough time to overhaul Mas?