Stage 18: El Puerto de Santa María – Jerez de la Frontera ITTDate: September 10, 2026Distance: 32kmElevation gain: 169mStart time: 14:06 CESTFinish time: 17:30 CEST
The first of three remaining vital GC days at this ongoing Vuelta a España arrives with the stage 18 individual time trial. Covering 32.1km from El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera, over almost entirely flat roads without too many technical sectors, it should be a real day for the specialists, but it will also play a key role in the race for red.
Riders will roll down the start ramp from the town on the Bay of Cádiz, with two left-hand bends bringing them onto the first long section, which isn’t completely without obstacles, as there are several roundabouts to navigate and slow their speed.
After 6km heading out of the town, they will turn right onto the A-2002, where the specialists should be able to fully open the tank ahead of the first intermediate time check. Following on will come two almost 90° right-handers, leading the riders into the next long open section before the second time check with 10km to go.
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On the run into Jerez de la Frontera will be five turns, varying in difficulty and sharpness, before the final push for the line on Av. Alcalde Álvaro Domecq, where the winner will be crowned on Thursday evening.
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A long time trial could decide the podium so late in the race
(Image credit: Unipublic)
(Image credit: Unipublic)
The most important part of how the day unfolds will be how much time race leader Enric Mas (Movistar) loses to Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), with the Slovenian’s flawless record against his long-term rival on the clock pointing to a certain advantage for Roglič on the stage.
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The pair will start six minutes apart, with Roglič looking to either completely overhaul or seriously take a chunk out of the 2:10 deficit he currently has to Mas. Despite history not being on Mas’s side in the discipline, there is nothing in either of their previous TT battles to suggest he will be losing red.
Former Olympic champion Roglič was once the master at time trials, especially at the Vuelta, winning four ITT stages throughout his seven appearances at the Tour of Spain. Though none of those was in the past five years.
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Having been the much stronger climber so far, surviving whatever Roglič throws at him over the 32.1km should provide Mas with a big psychological boost ahead of the final two mountain stages. But there’s a slim chance in his current form, and after recent question marks being raised when it comes to Roglič’s position on the TT bike, that Mas’s more than two-minute lead won’t even be eaten into that much.
There also isn’t much to take from the other time trial we saw during this Vuelta, the opening stage in Monaco, with the 11-second gap in favour of the four-time winner to Mas coming on a mostly technical effort through the microstates’ twisty streets.
We’re heading towards ground that does favour Roglič, but it seems like a miracle or an out-of-this-world performance are the only things that would put him back in pole position to win a record fifth Vuelta a España. That’s not to say it’s impossible we see the Slovenian back in red before the final mountain tests, but it looks extremely unlikely for now – the first time check will be an important benchmark for whether the dream of a fifth remains alive.
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Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) can be counted out of the race for red on this time trial, which he has long known and been saying, with a podium always being the goal – and that would be a top result for the Austrian, adding to his runner-up finish at the Giro d’Italia.
Starting as the penultimate rider in second overall, 2:06 down on Mas and with just four seconds protecting his spot from Roglič, Gall should drop into third place overall, but no further, having established a strong buffer from Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) and Oscar Onley (Netcompany Ineos) last weekend on Sierra de la Pandera.
But the gaps could all be closer, both for the victory, the podium, and the top five, and could move several riders within striking distance of a step up the standings once the dust settles on Thursday.
In terms of the race for red, it should leave Mas with the knowledge of how much he has to defend from Roglič up to Peñas Blancas and Collado del Algaucil on stages 19 and 20, but the difference between a more-than-minute, 30-second, and under 15-second lead changes the expectations and tactics of the final climbing days massively, so it will be a nervous wait if he knows it’s going to be a big-time gain for the Slovenian.
Final Vuelta time trials have played their part in red jersey battles gone by, but also in Jerez de la Frontera specifically, with Álvaro Pino confirming overall victory ahead of Phillipa York in 1986 after a 22km race against the clock in the very same city. Perhaps they could again in 2026, but this time with enough difficulty for another potential swing of the pendulum.
The race for the stage victory
Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep) in time trial mode earlier this year (Image credit: Getty Images)
It’s unlikely any of those top GC contenders will be in the fight for the stage win, again, unless Roglič puts in a vintage performance, and while the likes of Pogačar, Josh Tarling, and Jay Vine, who would have certainly been in the race for the win, have pulled out, there are still some specialists who should be well in the game.
Second place in the Monaco opener, Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep), should be one of them, and while reports suggest he has found a team for 2027 and isn’t anymore fighting for his place in next year’s peloton in the ITT specifically on Thursday, the Brit will be desperate to take revenge for what happened to him on day one.
Pogačar snatched away victory and the first red jersey of the race from him at the last, by just nine hundredths of a second, leaving him unable to hide his disappointment from the TV cameras that caught his reaction.
But it won’t be all so easy for the Brit in this race, with former Vuelta ITT winner Stefan Küng (Tudor) and double stage winner Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) presenting top challenges for the victory, and arguably the latter’s form should have everyone afraid. Visma also have a second specialist option in Bruno Armirail, with young Scot Callum Thornley (Red Bull), and Ivan Romeo (Movistar) also potential dark horses for the win.
Hayter will be just the fifth rider to roll down the start ramp on Thursday, meaning he could be in for another agonising wait in the hot seat, should he deliver another top performance. Once Küng crosses the line some 86 riders later, it should be clear whether or not the Brit has done enough to take a maiden Grand Tour stage.
With two races within one, it’s one of those rare occasions where a time trial should become a pit of nerves, for the teams and riders chasing one of their final opportunities to win a huge race this year, but also the GC favourites who need stage 18 to go well if they are to achieve the goals they are currently in pole position for. Mas could become brave enough to place one hand on the red jersey for good in 2026 if tomorrow goes to plan.
Time checksCheckpoint #1, km. 11.7Checkpoint #2, km. 22.1
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