As it happened: A nail biting finish as a late attack is caught on the line as the punchy sprinters fight for Vuelta a España stage 10 victory
Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra, 184.7 km
Good morning and welcome to stage 10 of the 2026 Vuelta a España. As usual we’ll have live updates and analysis throughout the stage, so stay with us all day.
It’s the first stage after the first rest day, something which can mess with some rider’s rhythm, so today we’ll see how they’ve recovered.
On today’s menu is 184.7km between Alcaraz and Elche de la Sierra, rolling out at 12:45 local time, the race getting underway proper 14 minutes later.
Sunday’s stage 9 was another brilliantly entertaining affair, it’s all in our report.
Race leader Enric Mas outsprints Oscar Onley to win stage 9 on Alto de Aitana.
Today brings us yet another lumpy stage, with 2,669m of vertical ascent, though there are only three categorised climbs.
There might only be those three climbs, but It’s up hill from the flag, which could make for a chaotic start. Nevertheless, it may still be a day for the sprinters, but only if their teams can control a breakaway.
One rider who won't be on the start line is New Zealand champion George Bennett (NSN) who has pulled out of the Vuelta after the rest day.
With a demanding number of race days already in the legs this season, the decision has been made to retire @georgenbennett from the @lavuelta. (1/2)🇪🇸 #LaVuelta26 #WeAreNSN #ForFin | @weare_nsn pic.twitter.com/fXMdr7lKa8September 1, 2026
One of the things which might disrupt the fast men in today's final climb, the Puerto de Socovos, which tops out 21.4km from the finish. It’s 9.8km in length, though it only averages 3.5% gradient.
That could make it a day for Lidl-Trek’s Thibau Nys, seen here being interviewed before the stage.
Lucas Hamilton looked pretty relaxed before the stage began, here's the Netcompany-Ineos rider preserving his energy at the sign on.
We've just learnt of another non-starter this morning, Henri-François Renard-Haquin (Picnic-PostNL) was forced to abandon after a crash on Sunday.
We do have an intermediate sprint during today's stage, coming in Hellín with 59.7km to go. Wout van Aert leads the points classification and is sure to want to collect the maximum points there.
We're racing! 184.7km to go.
Here we go. The day's first climb comes after 47km, will we have a breakaway before then? Let's find out.
Of course the big name missing from the race now is Tadej Pogačar. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider crashed out on Saturday, sustaining multiple injuries.
Luckily surgery on his broken collarbone went well.
It's all action out there, with a lone escapee getting a gap and being caught, now four, nope, make that six more are trying their luck.
And they're caught again.
It's another warm one out there, around 27º, with a slight wind. That wind will increase as the day goes on, though it's unlikely to cause too many problems unless we get more than is forecast.
Still the attacks come. It was much more relaxed just a few minutes ago.
We have six riders off the front, though they only have 10 seconds on the bunch.
Finlay Pickering (Jayco-AlUla), Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ United), Jesus Herrada (Burgos-Burpellet-BH), Magnus Cort Nielsen (UNO-X Mobility), Domen Novak and Jay Vine (both UAE Team Emirates-XRG), are away but struggling to hold off the chasing bunch.
Now it's the turn of Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United), he's up the road with Michael Gogl (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco-AlUla), Fabian Weiss (Tudor Pro Cycling), Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos- Burpellet-BH) and Iván Cobo (Equipo Kern Pharma). This group of six have been allowed their heads and lead by 1:25.
Now we have a breakaway!
With the leaders' advantage at 1.25 Fredrik Dversnes (UNO-X Mobility) is chasing, though he's alone and almost a minute behind.
Remember Dversnes' win at the Giro d'Italia this year?
He was part of the breakaway which shocked the peloton.
160km to go - six become seven
Dversnes has caught the leading group while the peloton have slipped out to 1:50 behind.
Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United), Michael Gogl (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco-AlUla), Fabian Weiss (Tudor Pro Cycling), Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos- Burpellet-BH), Iván Cobo (Equipo Kern Pharma) and Fredrik Dversnes (UNO-X Mobility) lead the bunch by two minutes.
We're heading towards the day's first climb now, with 152km to go the breakaway's lead has settled at 1:45.
150km to go - the race settles
The advantage for Paleni, Gogl, Sütterlin, Weiss, Fernández, Cobo and Dversnes have been allowed to settle at 1:50.
The day's first categorised climb is the Puerto del Paralejo. It's 5.2km in length with an average gradient of 4.2%.
With Tadej Pogačar out of the race, his UAE Team Emirates-XRG team are left without their leader.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG recalibrate Vuelta a España goals after losing Tadej Pogačar.
The lead really has been allowed to grow, as they start the Puerto del Paralejo they lead by 2:52.
Enric Mas starts the second week of the race leading the general classification by 1:18. So what's next for the Movistar rider?
"I haven't looked at the route at all," he admitted.
135km to go - The first classified climb is over
Our breakaway of Paleni, Gogl, Sütterlin, Weiss, Fernández, Cobo and Dversnes lead by 2:15
Paleni was first over the climb, claiming 2 points for the mountains classification
Weiss won 2 points and Fernández 1 point.
We have around 40km until the top of the next climb.
We're into an area of cross winds here, but it's only around 14kph and the road twists too much for it to have any effect.
The opening climb led the race onto an undulating plateau and the descending only begins in the next few kilometres, so any wind really won't affect the race.
120km to go
The next classified climb is the Puerto Aýna begins with 106.1km of the stage remaining, next up is the descent to the foot of the climb. It's not to steep but there are plenty of twists and turns.
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) is wearing the green jersey of the points classification leader. how many points can he win today?
Netcompany-Ineos might have a chance to win today's stage, but Ben Turner, who won a stage in last year's race, has just withdrawn.
105km to go - Puerto de Aýna
We're onto the second classified climb of the day now.
Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United), Michael Gogl (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Jasha Sütterlin (Jayco-AlUla), Fabian Weiss (Tudor Pro Cycling), Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos- Burpellet-BH), Iván Cobo (Equipo Kern Pharma) and Fredrik Dversnes (UNO-X Mobility) lead the peloton by 2:30.
The climb they're on at the moment isn't a particularly tough one, it might be 7.7km long, but the average gradient is just 4%. It's a third category climb, with a maximum 3 points at the top.
And suddenly the gap drops like a stone, the lead for Paleni, Gogl, Sütterlin, Weiss, Fernández, Cobo and Dversnes is down to only 1:20.
It's Visma-Lease a bike who are doing the damage, they're on the front nailing it and stringing the bunch out.
Weiss won maximum points on the climb, with Sütterlin second and Fernández in third.
The descent isn't a steep one, but it's long the route undulating for more or less 60km until we reach a short, steep but unclassified dig before the final third cat ascent.
Though the peloton's deficit has stabilised at the 1:25 mark, Cofidis are also helping out on the front.
The French team took a stage win with Bryan Coquard last week.
The next obstacle for the stage is the intermediate sprint which comes in just under 20km.
The winner will take 20 points, and that could be taken by either the breakaway or peloton, even though their deficit is now back out to 1:45.
75km to go - The racing is on now
There's not much time for chatting in the peloton now, the pace is high ahead of the intermediate sprint in 15km.
Paleni, Gogl, Sütterlin, Weiss, Fernández, Cobo and Dversnes lead by 1:45 so it looks like they'll take maximum points now.
Oddly, the gap is going back out again, it's almost two minutes once again, it seems the peloton realised they wouldn't quite catch the leaders before the intermediate.
Just 5km until the intermediate sprint now, and with the breakaway still 1:55 up the road it'll be one of those leaders who wins the points and they only go down to fifth place.
Intermediate sprint - 59km to go
The breakaway takes it with the bunch 1:35 behind.
Weiss takes it and the 20 points on offer.
It's still Visma-Lease a Bike and Cofidis leading the chase, but they have everything under control.
The breakaway are just 1:30 ahead, a gap they should be able to close in the distance remaining. But this is cycling and things can change.
The bunch will need to bring the break closer before the final classified climb of the day, the route turns north-west there and will have a tailwind, which will aid the leaders.
There's also plenty of descending after that climb which also plays into the breakaway's hands. It's not that the bunch will have needed to have caught the leaders, they'll need them closer to guarantee success.
45km to go - time for action in the peloton
We have a lumpy run in to the base of the day's final classified climb, which begins 31.2km from the line.
As it stands Paleni, Gogl, Sütterlin, Weiss, Fernández, Cobo and Dversnes lead by 1:32.
The crosswinds are affecting the peloton a little now, there are no echelons, but teams are positioned across the road the gain maximum advantage.
Visma-Lease a bike have taken around 10 seconds out of the leading group.
We're fast approaching the steepest gradients of the entire stage. A short unclassified climb starts with 34km to go, it's only 1400m, but ramps up to more than 12%. It's crucial the breakaway stays together here.
Fernández is really struggling to stay with the leaders, Weiss has gone too as has Sütterlin, even Paleni is struggling.
Over the mini climb and we have four leaders, Paleni, Gogl, Cobo and Dversnes who continue to lead by 1:23.
Soudal-QuickStep are attacking the peloton.
The final climb is the Puerto de Socovos is 9.8km at an average gradient of 3.5%, it starts very soon, with 31.2km to go.
30km to go - it's action stations
Weiss caught the leading quartet, so we have five leaders now, but the peloton is only 1:08 down, though there's little cohesion in the chase.
Lidl-Trek won't be contributing as Mads Pedersen is dropped.
Remember, not only do we descend off the climb there'll also be a tailwind of about 15kph. Both play to the breakaway's advantage.
Two climbers attack the peloton, Eddie Dunbar (Pinarello-Q36.5) and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-QuickStep), they're being chased, but the race is breaking up.
Dunbar is alone in the chase now, picking off some of the dropped breakaway riders. Will Barta (Tudor Pro Cycling) trying to bridge to the Irishman who is 42 seconds behind the five man leading group.
Paleni, Gogl, Cobo, Weiss and Dversnes are working well, but they're clearly struggling having been out there all day long. Dunbar will be with them soon, he's 39 seconds down.
25km to go - an organised chase
After the chaos of the small climb the peloton are getting themselves organised now. Weiss is dropped from the leading group again, while cars and motorbikes are queueing up behind the remaining four, getting ready to get past the leaders.
More attacks from the peloton, four riders trying to get across the gap. While Dunbar remains 40 seconds behind the leaders, the bunch are right behind him.
Weiss is caught by the bunch but it's all kicking off in the peloton, with some of the GC riders getting away. Panic in the bunch as it splits, Netcompany-Ineos working to get Oscar Onley back with the other GC riders.
All together and there's calm for a second as another group fires off the front.
Paleni, Gogl, Cobo, and Dversnes only have 30 seconds.
Over the top of the final climb now and we have about 13km of descending, though there are a couple of little uphill digs in there. After that, much of the closing 8km is uphill.
Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) is in the four-man chase group but the peloton is being led by his teammates.
Axel Laurance (Netcompany-Ineos) is with him and two others.
20km to go
We have the remaining riders from the original breakaway 30 seconds ahead after the four-man chase was caught.
Paleni, Gogl, Cobo, and Dversnes lead by only 23 seconds now as Visma-Lease a bike have Christophe Laporte on the the front of the chase.
Laporte is making a huge effort, even on the downhill he's bringing the leading group to heel.
Paleni, Gogl, Cobo, and Dversnes are making Laporte work hard though, their lead is around 10 seconds with 12km to go. Though Cobo is now dropped.
Now Paleni is caght, only Gogl and Dversnes remain at the front.
There's a fast descent into the final now, Gogl and Dversnes still have a handful of seconds.
10km to go - all under control for the bunch
Visma-Lease a Bike still lead the chase with Gogl and Dversnes just ahead.
A small kicker now, can the two leaders survive it?
Attacks at the front and Laporte is done. Still Gogl and Dversnes lead. Can they?
Gogl dropped and Dversnes is almost caught by a rider from Kern Pharma who attacked the bunch.
Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) is bridging with Milam Vader (Pinnarello-Q36.5), while Iñigo Elosegui is with Dversnes.
5km to go
5km to go and it’s uphill, though it’s little more than false flat, averaging 2.5% levelling off in the final few hundred metres.
A group of six are now at the front, but they lead the peloton by the smallest margin.
Finally al the break is caught and Walter Calzoni (Pinarello-36.5) is alone at the front. He's ahead with 3km to go.
Visma-Lease a bike are still working for Wout van Aert as red jersey Enric Mas (Movistar) is second wheel.
We’re in the final 2km now. There are a few bends and curves, but the only major turn is a right hander coming about 400m from the line.
Netcompany-Ineos take over at the front under the flamme rouge, one kilometre to go.
The Finish!
The two attackers are caught on the line, Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United) taking the win.
Magnus Cort (UNO-X Mobility) was second, Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) third.
What a brilliant, nail biting finish.
What a win for Tronchon, the 24-year-old Frenchman taking only his third win in his seventh season riding in the WorldTour.
"I launched my sprint and I just finished it on the line, but I wasn’t sure of there is some guys in front or not, so I did not put my hands in the air," he said in the post-race flash interview.
"That’s crazy, I can’t believe it. The last two days was really hard for me and today I was good, and I said to Guillaume [Martin] go full gas until you die and I take the win, so it’s crazy.
"The preparation this year was not really good, I didn’t feel good the last weeks, it was a bit strange, like not like the other years, I was like trust the process and we’ll see. When I take the start I was like OK the job is done, so now just race like I like and go for one."
Chaotic stage
Tronchon's victory came after what might have been a regulation stage, indeed it was for a long while. The break got away and was slowly brought to heel, but the resilience of Gogl and Dversnes threw a spanner in the works of teams like Cofidis and, more so, Visma-Lease a Bike.
With two men still up the road aggression was invited, and the sprinters' teams were unable to control. The late move from Fedorov and Azparren was so close to success but they were brought back so close to the line, Tronchon eventuallt winning by a clear margin.
In Wout van Aert and Matthew Brennan Visma-Lease a Bike have an embarrassment of riches in the sprinting department, but maybe their strategy for stage 10 was muddled, or maybe they got it wrong.
With two stage wins Brennan has looked sharp all race long, showing that in the final by chasing attacks on behalf of his Belgian teammate once a decision about who they would try to win with was made. The trouble is Van Aert looks to be without his characteristic punch, and could only manage fourth place on the day.
He has extended his lead in the points classification, we just don't know if the team would rather he won the green jersey than Brennan won sprints.
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Whatever, it was a brilliantly exciting - and chaotic - final 35km.
And there may well be more of the same tomorrow during the 151.3km 11th stage between Cartagena and Lorca.
The third category Alto del Morrion tops out more than 30km from the finish and is the only classified ascent of the day, it shouldn't prove too much of a challenge for most of the sprinters, though we'll see.
Thanks for being with us, see you tomorrow.
Check out our life report for stage 11 here
Vuelta a España stage 11 LIVE: The sprint teams are set to battle the breakaway on the road to Lorca
