2026-09-04T15:02:46.841Z Skjelmose hasn’t made the split into this front group, and is among the chasers who are now 1:11. In turn, they’re 3:10 ahead of the peloton, which means as things stand he’ll move up to fifth on the virtual GC – which isn’t quite as big a leap as he poised to make earlier.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:59:08.752Z<\/p>\n Things have calmed down a little in the lead group of nine, with no attacks in the last few kilometres. The other riders present will be very aware of the threat posed by the two Visma riders, both of whom none of them will want to have to sprint against. Surely they will have to attack if they want to win the stage.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:54:06.650Z<\/p>\n There are only seven riders left with Van Aert and Brennan – Vermaerke, Fisher-Black, Bisiaux, Paret-Peintre, Widar, Albanese and Dalby.<\/p>\n Vermaerke appears to be one of the strongest, and just tried his own attack, but Van Aert managed to mark it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:51:20.481Z Van Aert’s latest attack saw him go clear with Vermaerke and Paret-Peintre. Neither of them offered a turn, and they’ve been brought back, but more attacks are surely on the way in this breathless finale.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:44:56.881Z<\/p>\n Van Aert and Brennan are now attacking in tandem, and the others are struggling to follow. The group has been reduced to about ten riders, though Skjelmose is still present, and is now up to fourth on the virtual GC.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:40:51.300Z Now in the front group, Van Aert is on a mission. He’s tried an attack, and though the rest of the group have just about managed to bridge up to him, he looks fresh. Visma now have the luxury of having both cards of Van Aert and Brennan to play – but they’re lacking a domestique, as Armirail was used up in the earlier chase.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:35:37.552Z Vermaerke attacks out of the lead group at the summit, and leads a group of four over the summit. But behind them both chase groups are mere seconds behind, and have rejoined on the descent.<\/p>\n So we now have a group of almost 20 together, including both Brennan and Van Aert, plus Buitrago, Skjelmose, Widar, Rodr\u00edguez and Berthet. Visma are looking good, but the stage win is still wide open, with 35km still to ride.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:30:46.727Z<\/p>\n It’s all kicking off now, as Van Aert takes matters into his own hands. He’s taken off the front, and is picking off riders who are being dropped from the first group, with a handful of riders just about managing to cling on to his wheel.<\/p>\n Up ahead, Leknessund has been caught by several riders, including Brennan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:27:59.140Z Attack from Vermaerke! As Armirail brings the chase group to within 15 seconds of the leaders, the UAE riders responds. He’s caught, but is countered by Leknessund. Hostilities have ignited.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:21:55.991Z<\/p>\n This is an interesting development. The chase group have slashed the advantage to the leaders, to just 30 seconds – and it’s down to work done by Visma’s Armirail. The team have made the call that they don’t believe Brennan can win from the front group, and are instead trying to bring back the chase group to get Van Aert back into contention.<\/p>\n It’s a big call, especially as Brennan looks comfortable so far on the climb and hasn’t come under any attacks. A lot of pressure would be on Van Aert to deliver the win for them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:18:25.778Z<\/p>\n We’ve entered a crucial part of the stage now, as the riders start climbing the final hill of the day, the category two Puerto de Granada. Its average of 5.6% for 7.4km is hard enough to cause selections in the front group, especially as everyone there is fully aware of the need to drop Brennan.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:13:28.152Z Brennan takes the 20 points on offer at the intermediate sprint, partly to defend his teammate’s Van Aert’s lead partly to solidify his own place in second in the classification. Here’s what it looks like now:<\/p>\n 1 Van Aert 194<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2 Brennan 137<\/p>\n 3 Romele 96<\/p>\n 4 Coquard 94<\/p>\n 5 Hayter 77<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:09:20.264Z Movistar continue to do most of the work in the peloton, with a little help from EF, but they’re been losing ground on the front groups. They’re now 4:45 behind the leaders and 3:45 ahead of the Skjelmose group, which is enough to see the Dane leap to fifth on the virtual GC.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T14:02:32.286Z<\/p>\n Another factor to consider is how hot it is out there. Some riders reported suffering in the conditions yesterday, and temperatures are again nearing 40 degrees.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T13:55:35.223Z Still the leaders work well together, as the chasers remain 1:30 adrift. The latter are on a difficult situation, as by pacing they’re also giving Brennan’s teammate Van Aert a free ride. But from Visma’s perspective, Brennan is in a vulnerable position in the lead group as everyone will be aware of the need to attack him.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T13:48:43.249Z<\/p>\n The race is in a holding pattern, as the leading ten continue to focus on maintaining their lead over the chasers, which is at 1:30, and the peloton, which is 4:30. At some point, they will have to switch to start thinking about how to beat each other the win to win the stage, especially considering the fastest finisher of the race, Matthew Brennan, is in it. The others will likely start to attack him come the next, and final, climb, coming up in about 20km.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T13:38:25.110Z<\/p>\n Today\u2019s finale isn\u2019t hard enough for Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d to attack, but he will need to go on the offensive at some point if he\u2019s to take the red jersey from Enric Mas, now that the deficit has grown. Overall victory remains the clear goal, and Rogli\u010d can\u2019t just rely on the third week time trial to make up the time.<\/p>\n ‘We’ll keep on fighting’ – Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a an uphill battle for Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d after Enric Mas gains time on Calar Alto<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images) 2026-09-04T13:29:05.638Z It’s not over yet, but if the advantage of the lead group (pictured) can grow much beyond its current time of 1:30, they will be difficult to catch. And the peloton are currently chasing to control Skjelmose, who is in the chasing group – if that’s neutralised you imagine they will be happy to let the break contest the stage.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T13:20:16.237Z<\/p>\n For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You’ll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T13:15:01.344Z This is looking good for the ten leaders. The chase group (now lacking De La Cruz, who is back in the peloton after becoming the latest rider to crash) is now 1:30 adrift, and not working well enough together to bridge the gap.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T13:10:23.133Z<\/p>\n Enric Mas in the peloton in red, who, despite the size of the breakaway group, is having a fairly straightforward day, especially as his Movistar team is getting help from EF leading the bunch in response to Skjelmose’s presence in it. The Spaniard is enjoying the kind of form he has rarely, if ever, had throughout his career, and wants to make the most of it to win a first ever Grand Tour title.<\/p>\n ‘He doesn’t always have these kinds of legs’ – Enric Mas boosts overall lead in Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a<\/a><\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images) 2026-09-04T13:03:51.258Z<\/p>\n The pace remains high and the lead group want to put the chasers out of sight. But Axel Laurance presses on a bit too hard going round a corner, and hits the deck. He’s up and riding, but is now caught in no-man’s land behind the eight leaders, and the large group of chasers.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T13:00:26.903Z Both Van Aert and Buitrago missed the split, and therefore weren’t around to compete for the KOM points. Instead, they went to Albanese, Martin and Kron.<\/p>\n The riders are now descending the climb, the leading nine one having grown their lead to the chasers to one minute, and to the peloton to four minutes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T12:56:27.130Z Another abandon for UAE, who’s Pavel Sivakov joins Poga\u010dar, Torres and Vine in leaving the race. The team hasn’t managed to bounce back in quite the way as was anticipated following their leader’s withdrawal, although they have Vermaerke up the road in the lead group.<\/p>\n Sivakov is the fourth abandon of the day, following M\u00fchlberger, Busatto and Sentjens.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T12:47:53.019Z<\/p>\n Bisiaux and Craps have bridged up to the leading group, brining its number up to 11. There’s now a gap between them and the chase group of 30 seconds – things could be at breaking point, and if the chasers don’t work together, their hopes of winning the stage might disappear already.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T12:44:01.044Z<\/p>\n Interestingly, it’s EF Education-EasyPost who are leading the peloton, rather than Mas’ Movistar. They could be riding out of fear of the threat posed to Carapaz’s fourth-place; but could they also be plotting something to launch him up the road? The Ecuadorian is famous for his aggression, so you can never count it out.<\/p>\n ‘It was an attack in my style’ – Richard Carapaz gambles on long-distance move on Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a high mountain stage<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T12:38:20.612Z<\/p>\n The 6 leaders are now 9, with Rodr\u00edguez, Berthet and Kron joining them. They’re also building more of an advantage now they’ve started the climb, and are over 40 seconds ahead of the rest of the break.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T12:30:13.234Z<\/p>\n The breakaway is in bits. Brennan, Leknessund and Vermaerke have been joined by Martin, Laurance and Albanese, while more riders are chasing up to them in small groups. The situation might become more stable once they start climbing in a few kilometres, up the 5.8km, 4.9% Alto del Legionario.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T12:22:08.293Z The various splits in the breakaway group came back together again, and now three new riders have attacked out of it to go clear – Brennan, Leknessund and Vermaerke. This break is simply too big to function as a whole, and these attacks will consequently keep coming.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T12:18:20.700Z<\/p>\n For unbeatable coverage across road, gravel and tech, subscribe to Cyclingnews. You’ll get comprehensive race coverage of La Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a, subscriber-exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today<\/a>. <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T12:13:25.417Z<\/p>\n The break is splitting into groups on the rolling terrain they\u2019re taking on ahead of the day\u2019s second (official) climb. Rodriguez, Kron and Elosegui (pictured) stole a march on the others to go clear, and a chase group of Brennan, Leknessund, Miguel, Molard and Laurance have formed behind them.The gap are still close between all these splits, with the larger chasing breakaway group just 20seconds behind the leaders, but the peloton is now two minutes adrift.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images) 2026-09-04T12:04:33.687Z<\/p>\n Widar and Martin were also part of the group of riders who bridged up to this lead group, which means every rider between 11th – 16th on GC is in it.<\/p>\n They\u2019re looking to make a leap into the top a la Jakob Omrzel, who is now up to 6th overall after so brilliantly winning yesterday\u2019s stage. The Slovenian caught the attention of the cycling world with that ride, but remains little-known – learn more about the latest prodigious Slovenian talent here.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ‘I want to write my own story’ \u2013 Who is Jakob Omrzel? Meet the next Slovenian star who’s not interested in comparisons to Poga\u010dar and Rogli\u010d<\/a><\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:59:08.923Z<\/p>\n Visma-Lease a Bike are well-placed in this group, with Armirail also present to do the pulling along with leaders Van Aert and Brennan. They’re not the best-represented team here, though – Uno-X have four, including previous stage winner Leknessund and runner-up Cort.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:52:24.440Z Bad news for Decathlon CMA CGM – Gregor M\u00fchlberger has left the race following his crash earlier. Not only was he himself ninth on GC, he was performing sterling work for leader Felix Gall. Gall might not yet have managed to successfully utilise his compatriot and teammate to take the red jersey, but it will become a lot harder now without him.<\/p>\n ‘He’s on a really high level’ \u2013 Felix Gall fails to convert attack into time gain as he’s forced to concede to superior Enric Mas again at Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:47:05.984Z The action is still very much on, and multiple other riders have bridged from the peloton to join this lead group – among them Skjelmose, who is still up in seventh at 7:42, and a threat on GC. With more than 40 riders up the road, Movistar have to keep this under control, and for now the peloton remains within 40 seconds of them.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:42:11.201Z As was the case yesterday, once again Van Aert and Buitrago sprinted for the KOM points, taking first and second respectively, followed by Fortunato, De la Cruz and Rodriguez. Here’s what the updated rankings look like:<\/p>\n 1 Buitrago 58<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2 Van Aert 40<\/p>\n 3 Mas 24<\/p>\n 4 Leknessund 19<\/p>\n 5 Fortunato 18<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:37:35.309Z<\/p>\n The group’s not being allowed to go clear just yet, the peloton keeping them at 20 seconds.<\/p>\n There are lots of strong climbers in it, and a few who could stand to break into the top ten – in fact, all of the riders currently ranked between 11th – 14th are in it (Berthet, Cristi\u00e1n Rodr\u00edguez, Bisiaux and Riccitello).<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images) 2026-09-04T11:31:39.301Z<\/p>\n A big group of about 30 riders have gone clear, before the summit. As well as Fortunato, many other eye-catching names are in it – King of the Mountains Buitrago, stage winner Leknessund, and the deadly Visma duo of Van Aert and Brennan.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:25:29.285Z Gall’s key climbing domestique Gregor M\u00fchlberger has gone down in a crash on the climb. That’s potentially worrying news for Gall, as the Austrian has been crucial to him in the climbs of this Vuelta, but he’s back on his bike and riding so has hopefully not been affected.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:19:49.856Z<\/p>\n The break is caught, as the pace in the peloton is increased. Astana’s Fortunato has replaced them at the front of the road, but there is surely much more attacking to come as they approach the summit of the climb.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:11:36.451Z No pursuing group has formed yet as they take on the lower slopes of the climb. The gap to the leaders has come down, to 30 seconds.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T11:03:11.990Z<\/p>\n The four leaders are about to start the climb with a lead on the peloton of 55 seconds, while a lone pursuer (Urko Berrade, who was second yesterday) is ten second ahead of the peloton.<\/p>\n This is the hardest climb of the day, the only one rated category one, and the longest, lasting 14.1km at 5.1%. Brace yourselves – this is where attacks from the peloton will ignite!<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Getty Images) 2026-09-04T10:55:49.302Z<\/p>\n The lead of the four riders has grown some more to 40 seconds. No pursuers are between them and the peloton for now, but that’s sure to change once the climb starts, especially while the gap between them remains so bridgeable.<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T10:48:27.515Z<\/p>\n The first 10 or 15km of this stage are flat, and so pose a chance for non-climbers to get into the break before the road ramps upwards. Four such riders are on the attack, and lead by 25 seconds – Domen Novak, Enzo Paleni, Asbj\u00f8rn Hellemose and Fabio Van den Bossche<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T10:40:42.856Z And they’re off!<\/p>\n 2026-09-04T10:36:12.864Z<\/p>\n The peloton is down another rider, as NSN\u2019s Alexey Lutsenko failed to make the start today. He had looked in his best form for a long time, too, finishing fourth yesterday atop Calar Alto, and getting into many breakaways throughout the race. Unfortunately, he fell ill last night.<\/p>\n @AlexeyLutsenko3 will not start Stage 13 of @lavuelta today.After becoming unwell overnight, the decision has been made for Alexey to step away from the race, allowing him to recover properly.We wish him a good recovery. \ud83e\ude75\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8 #LaVuelta26 #WeAreNSN #ForFin | @weare_nsn pic.twitter.com\/JGMCysQRauSeptember 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2026-09-04T10:32:00.801Z<\/p>\n There are three official climbs to be taken on, and they’re front-loaded, making an inviting springboard for any strong climbers who want to get into the break. And potentially any GC threats wanting to leap up the rankings? It will likely be very hard to control at the start of the day, and race leader Enric Mas’ Movistar team will need to be on their toes.<\/p>\n
\n10KM TO GO<\/p>\n
\n20KM TO GO<\/p>\n
\n30KM TO GO<\/p>\n
\nKOM – PUERTO DE GRANADA<\/p>\n
\n40KM TO GO<\/p>\n
\nINTERMEDIATE SPRINT<\/p>\n
\n50KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/HFnEknA8JEMx8WaNUKUc5m.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/QFgzA464eatgvJ4E3uVBmD.jpg\")
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\n60KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/39jQG3LyfVanSAgvLawFoG.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/YborJ5TQMkph4aGJAUZCGi.jpg\")
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\n80KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/QRViFqeDLt6buW8m2juMjR.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n90KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/oooyEhkUA2EZxmwGW7Za8n.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\nKOM – ALTO DEL LEGIONARIO <\/p>\n
\nDNF – PAVEL SIVAKOV<\/p>\n
\n130KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sHQnfDTpoytnvRMzoeHCNo.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/PtDi7A6mU5cWS7oqVHL8jb.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\nDNF – MUHLBERGER<\/p>\n
\n150KM TO GO<\/p>\n
\nKOM – ALTO DE LA VENTA DE LA CEBADA<\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/rzUHi4RFPc5E3faZQ9tWK.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\nCRASH – MUHLBERGER <\/p>\n![\"LOJA,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ekwGNZwjroCrMXstXxMzwR.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n170KM TO GO<\/p>\n![\"ALMUNECAR,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jrpoeAL7H5ByBhWeJjG4HJ.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n![\"ALMUNECAR,](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WpZEAacgmAiP6LABgmpkKB.jpg\")
\n<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
\nOFFICIAL START<\/p>\n