Eddie Dunbar wins Vuelta stage as Pinarello-Q36.5 put three riders in top five and Roglič attacks
CyclingFriday, 11 September 2026 at 17:24
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Follow us on GoogleEddie Dunbar has won Stage 19 of the Vuelta a España. The Irishman from Pinarello-Q36.5 surged past King of the Mountains Santiago Buitrago in the final kilometre after a superb comeback. The Bahrain Victorious rider had looked the strongest, but eventually cracked. Pinarello-Q36.5 finished with three riders inside the top five, while the general classification contenders attacked each other along the way and again, albeit somewhat tentatively, in the finale.
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After two stages for the sprinters, the battle for the general classification resumed in the final week with a crucial individual time trial. It looked like the place where the Vuelta could be blown wide open again, but a strong Primož Roglič was matched by an equally impressive Enric Mas, who lost only around half a minute to his Slovenian rival. That left the Spaniard in an excellent position heading into the final mountain stages.
Mas therefore had some breathing room going into the first of two brutally difficult mountain stages, although his rivals were certainly not beaten yet. The finish on Peñas Blancas represented a major opportunity, but it quickly became clear that almost the entire peloton had plans of its own. Even after 110 kilometres of racing, with the Puerto del Viento already behind them and another 100 kilometres still to cover, the battle to establish the breakaway was continuing.
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Carapaz attacks, Enric Mas stays alert
Visma | Lease a Bike were one of the many teams interested in getting into the breakaway and, as expected, climbers Steven Kruijswijk, Sepp Kuss and Jørgen Nordhagen all tried their luck. However, dozens of other riders had exactly the same idea, producing a frantic battle over the first two second-category climbs: the Puerto de las Abejas and Puerto del Viento.
With the pace relentless, the composition of the groups at the front changed constantly, but after the two climbs a 16-rider group finally came together. King of the Mountains Santiago Buitrago was there for Bahrain Victorious, while Eddie Dunbar (Pinarello-Q36.5), Kevin Vermaerke (UAE), Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United) and Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility) were among the other notable names.
Also worth mentioning was the battle further back among the general classification contenders. Richard Carapaz attacked twice and managed to get clear with his second attempt. Primož Roglič and Felix Gall also briefly moved up the road, with red jersey wearer Mas immediately alert to the danger. Those three eventually returned to the peloton, while Carapaz managed to link up with a chasing group.
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Carapaz drops back as Movistar control large breakaway
Unfortunately for Carapaz, his EF Education-EasyPost teammate Darren Rafferty disappeared from the group because of a mechanical problem, leaving the fourth-placed rider in the general classification to realise just how difficult his long-range move had become. With a lengthy section containing relatively little climbing before the day's final ascent, Carapaz eventually allowed himself to be caught by the peloton. Movistar then took control on behalf of Mas.
Once the remaining chasers had been caught, a group of 16 riders remained at the head of the race. There were no serious general classification threats among them, so Movistar were happy to give the breakaway some freedom. Pablo Castrillo represented the Spanish team up front, while Vermaerke, Buitrago, Dunbar, Tronchon and Leknessund were joined by riders including Guillaume Martin, also of Groupama, and Dutchman Darren van Bekkum of Astana.
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Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe raise the pace on the final climb
After all the aggression during the opening 110 kilometres, the breakaway suddenly began to build a sizeable advantage. Netcompany INEOS and EF Education-EasyPost briefly tried to keep the gap under control, but once Movistar took charge, the 16 leaders saw their advantage rise beyond seven minutes on the approach to the final climb. It was only as the race neared the foot of Peñas Blancas that the peloton began to accelerate again.
Red Bull appeared to commit fully to setting up Roglič. The entire team moved to the front, although in reality the pace was not quite high enough. The clearest evidence was that the breakaway continued to gain time, helped in part by Buitrago attacking at the front. He was joined by the Pinarello-Q36.5 duo of Dunbar and Thomas Gloag, while Urko Berrade of Equipo Kern Pharma also made the move.
After Red Bull had used up most of their riders and the breakaway's advantage had grown beyond seven minutes, Movistar took over again with nine kilometres remaining. It was something of a psychological blow for Roglič, whose team had been unable to put the peloton under genuine pressure. Movistar had no reason to do so themselves, and the general classification group therefore continued climbing with the status quo largely intact.
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Breakaway battles for Vuelta a España stage victory
A spectacular opening phase of the stage was consequently followed by a slightly more restrained finale. Dunbar set the tempo in the four-man leading group during the closing kilometres, while Iván Roméo did the same for Movistar at the front of the peloton, seven minutes further down the mountain. With 5.5 kilometres remaining, something finally changed as EF Education-EasyPost again began to increase the pace for Carapaz. But the question was: what exactly were they hoping to achieve?
At the front, Pinarello-Q36.5 had strength in numbers, with Marcel Camprubí also riding around 40 seconds behind the leaders in fifth position. It was an extraordinary situation of luxury for the team, although they still needed to finish the job. Buitrago attacked hard with two kilometres remaining and, for a moment, appeared to have delivered the decisive blow. Dunbar had other ideas, however, and launched his counterattack shortly afterwards.
The final kilometre developed into a superb head-to-head battle in which Buitrago and Dunbar both pushed themselves beyond their limits. The Irishman managed to close the gap and then power past his Colombian rival in the final few hundred metres, providing a fitting conclusion to a brilliant day of racing. Among the favourites, Roglič also finally launched an offensive of his own in the absolute closing stages.
The Slovenian repeatedly got out of the saddle to accelerate, but just like his team earlier on the climb, Roglič was unable to distance his main rivals. Jakob Omrzel did manage to ride away from the rest for Bahrain Victorious, which briefly put white jersey wearer Oscar Onley of INEOS under pressure. The Briton was ultimately rescued by a late acceleration from Gall, ensuring that the top six riders in the general classification reached the summit together.
Information on Stage 19 of the 2026 Vuelta a España
1. Eddie Dunbar - Pinarello Q36.5
2. Santiago Buitrago - Bahrain Victorious + 0.14
3. Thomas Gloag - Pinarello Q36.5 + 0.23
4. Urko Berrade - Equipo Kern Pharma + 0.44
5. Marcel Camprubi - Pinarello Q36.5 + 1.44
2. Santiago Buitrago - Bahrain Victorious + 0.14
3. Thomas Gloag - Pinarello Q36.5 + 0.23
4. Urko Berrade - Equipo Kern Pharma + 0.44
5. Marcel Camprubi - Pinarello Q36.5 + 1.44
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Félicitations in advance si ça se concrétise. Line-up looks très britannique mais con ambición grande. Tour 2027 en Edimbourg sería épico si les invitan.gearguru3310-09-2026
- - Vamos Ethan! Breakaway king of this Vuelta and super combative. Today’s flat chrono is perfect terrain—just keep it clean through the Jerez crosswinds.breakawaybikerd10-09-2026
- - Bit cautious here. Hayter’s had stop-start seasons with crashes/illness and I still don’t know if he’s a GC week-long guy or a TT/sprint hybrid. Curious whether they build around him or Pidcock first.pedalpowe2910-09-2026
- - Hayter’s engine + Q5’s growing train could smash team TTs and medium sprint stages. Mauro Schmid + Bittner coming too? That’s a nasty lead-out combo if they gel.cyclechamp4510-09-2026
- - Can someone explain how ProTeams get Tour invites? If Q5 aren’t automatic, what results do they need—UCI points, one-day wins, or stage race podiums? Confused how that process works.samanthak10-09-2026
- - Love the Edinburgh Grand Départ angle. If ASO is on the fence, a British TT champ in form plus Pidcock makes that wildcard case much stronger. Q5 look less like a ProTeam and more like a budding GC/ Classics hybrid.jennifer1910-09-2026
- - Not sure the piece nails the contract timing. Says “for 2027” but what about 2025–26? Is he staying at Soudal through 2026 even after being told no extension? Sounds a bit contradictory tbh.robert6510-09-2026
- - Huge if true. Hayter to Q5 alongside Pidcock, Wright and Gloag gives them a legit British core. With Glasenberg’s backing they’re clearly aiming at TdF wildcardHope he nails today’s TT after missing the Bilbao opener by09s—that’s been haunting him all Vuelta.tourdeforce910-09-2026
- - Love the honesty about hesitating because of Remco’s messages. Ego flattered but head ruled. That’s grown-up stuff. Vamos Tim, forza UAE!andrewf10-09-2026
- - “Brand team” line threw me. Does he mean title sponsor obligations? Either way, UAE pays the wages—totally get it. Bon courage Tim, allez!tourdeforce910-09-2026
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