Pogacar survives scare to win Vuelta stage six and stretch overall lead
Tadej Pogacar won stage six of the 2026 Vuelta a España on 27 August, outsprinting Enric Mas to the line in Castellón de la Plana for his third stage victory of the race. The Slovenian, already wearing the red leader's jersey, extended his advantage in the general classification — the overall standings that determine the race winner — to 3 minutes 34 seconds over Mas and 4 minutes 21 seconds over Primoz Roglic The Guardian.
He very nearly didn't. On the final descent, Pogacar misjudged a corner and briefly left the road before recovering and rejoining Mas, who had crested the last climb ahead of him. The moment cost seconds but not the stage. Once back together, Pogacar proved too quick at the finish.
The 177.5-kilometre stage from Alcossebre to Castellón de la Plana featured three categorised climbs, the last of which decided the day La Vuelta. A 15-rider breakaway — the group that rides ahead of the peloton, the main pack — built a gap of two and a half minutes with 40 kilometres remaining. The final climb, the first-category Puerto El Bartolo, shattered that lead group. Pogacar attacked on a 1.9-kilometre gravel section near the top, and only Mas could follow.
Ramses Debruyne came home third, 46 seconds behind the leading pair, in a chase group that included Roglic, Richard Carapaz and Felix Gall. Oscar Onley lost more than a minute and a half to his GC rivals on the stage.
Pogacar, a five-time Tour de France winner, started the Vuelta as the overwhelming favourite and is chasing a Grand Tour grand slam — victories in all three of cycling's major stage races. He won the opening individual time trial by nine hundredths of a second from Ethan Hayter Rouleur and has barely been headed since.
The stage carried a heavier story too. Josh Tarling, who finished third in that opening time trial behind Pogacar and Hayter, abandoned the race with around 120 kilometres of stage six remaining. His team, Netcompany Ineos, said on social media that his "brave La Vuelta has come to an end and he's decided to stop," adding that they could not be prouder. No reason was given. Tarling had chosen to race the Vuelta in honour of his brother Finlay, who died in the Tour of Portugal after a crash with a vehicle The Guardian.
Stage seven on 28 August covers 149.8 kilometres from Vall d'Alba to a summit finish at Aramón Valdelinares — another climb where Pogacar's rivals will have to find answers they have so far lacked.
