Vuelta a España stage 18 LIVE: Callum Thornley sets early benchmark as Enric Mas and Primož Roglič set to face-off

2022 Vuelta a España: 1:04 (31km)

2022 Dauphine: 1:11 (32km)

2021 Vuelta a España: 2:04 (34km)

2020 Vuelta a España: 1:43 (34km)

2020 Tour de France: 0-49 (36.2km)

2026-09-10T13:29:10.960Z

Roglič might be the better time trialist than Mas, so much so that he has beaten him in all 22 of the stages they’ve competed in throughout their careers; but, looking back over all those previous results, Mas has reason to be optimistic. In none of those past stages has he lost as much as 2:10 to the Slovenian, which is all he needs to defend today in order to protect the red jersey.

2026-09-10T13:24:20.297Z

João Almeida appears to have found some form! He’s just become the first man to post a time quicker than Thornley at the first time check, albeit by just the two seconds. As a man who knows how to pace himself, you’d back him to go on to set the best time at the finish.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-09-10T13:21:06.692Z

There’s just over an hour and a half to go until Enric Mas sets off for the most important time trial of his life. He’s trying not to worry about how other people will ride, but focus instead on delivering the fastest time that he is capable of.

2026-09-10T13:14:27.801Z

Ivo Oliveira has just posted the second fastest time at the finish, but he’s a long way off Thornley’s time, who was 27 seconds faster.

The Scotsman’s next threat looks set to come from Xabier Mikel Azparren, who has posted a time at the first check that’s just 5 seconds slower.

2026-09-10T13:06:58.831Z

The winner of both the previous two stages, Matthew Brennan, has started his ride. He won’t be making it a hat-trick today, and will be taking it easier around the course, but whatever happens he’s astounded with his performances at this Vuelta. His Visma-Lease a Bike has enjoyed great success in Grand Tours over the years, but this is their most prolific in history.

2026-09-10T13:02:16.128Z

2026-09-10T12:49:27.480Z

Hayter has just arrived at the finish with a time of 35:54, having passed a few of the minute men who started before him.

He’s in the hot seat – but may not want to make himself too comfortable, as Thornley is still looking good to beat his time. At the second time check he retained his lead over Hayter, posting a time 23 seconds quicker.

2026-09-10T12:43:24.519Z

Oscar Chamberlain, who was seventh on the opening stage time trial, is on the course, but is a little down at the first time check, 27 seconds slower than Thornley and 8 seconds slower than Hayter.

Meanwhile Hayter is currently the quickest at the second time check – but Thornley is yet to pass through it.

2026-09-10T12:34:48.889Z

Thornley has just gone through the first time check, and he’s the quickest so far – 19 seconds quicker than his compatriot Hayter. They’re both going for it, and are a long way up on the rest of the field. Theirs is the fight to be the early pace-setter, and so far Thornley is winning it.

2026-09-10T12:27:32.186Z

Today’s stage is held in El Puerto de Santa María, where the riders are setting off in turn from the town’s bull ring. It’s making for a spectacular backdrop.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-09-10T12:20:39.155Z

Another contender for the stage has just begun, and it’s another Brit – Callum Thornley. The 23-year-old was fourth in the opening stage, and as well as taking notes for teammate Primož Roglič, he’ll also be going all in for himself to set the fastest possible time.

2026-09-10T12:17:08.208Z

One of the favourites it also one of the first riders to set off – Ethan Hayter. The Brit was one of the protagonists of the first week of the race, starting with an agonising second-place finish behind Tadej Pogačar in the opening stage time trial.

He’s struggled since then, as evidenced by how far down he is on the GC, but if he’s well-rested and feeling fresh for this time trial, he’s one of the favourites for the stage.

2026-09-10T12:00:15.516Z

It’s a flat course, and therefore one that should help the better time trialists among the GC contenders (ie, Roglič) maximise their time gain, while also giving the specialists further down the ranking a great shot at winning the stage. Have a read of our full preview here.

2026-09-10T11:55:18.832Z

The man looking to depose Enric Mas from the top of the classification is Primož Roglič. While Mas has never won a race of this calibre before, Roglič has made a career of doing so; rather than hunting his first ever Vuelta title, he instead is looking to break the record for the most ever.

As an elite time trialist, this is the day he has been waiting for to make a move on the red jersey, and will hope he can make Mas crack under the considerable pressure he is under.

2026-09-10T11:47:22.463Z

Today might just be the biggest day in the career of Enric Mas. A pro for ten years, the Spaniard has been one of the best climbers in the peloton for most of that time, but has never quite managed to deliver the big result that matches his talents.

Now, with just four more stages left to complete, he’s on the verge of taking one of the biggest prizes there is in cycling (especially for a Spaniard) – the Vuelta a España. But to do so, he can’t just rely on his climbing, but will today need to call up on his more limited time trialling skills.

Hello and welcome to stage 18 of the Vuelta a España.