One fewer for UAE: UCI strips Marc Soler of overall win in Spain

The decision follows an extraordinary end to the Spanish 2.1 stage race, which had already been heavily affected by extreme weather. Looking back to last week, strong winds across southern Europe caused major disruption — and Murcia was no exception. The race was due to begin with a 178-kilometre stage, but organisers were forced to shorten it dramatically to around 90 kilometres because of the conditions.

Fans still got an entertaining day of racing, as the crosswinds produced a proper echelon battle. UAE Team Emirates–XRG took control and made the most of the situation, eventually securing a one-two with Soler ahead of Julius Johansen.

Saturday’s planned finale then ran into even more trouble. Stage 2 was first shortened and, after an attempted start, ultimately neutralised. In the end, the riders completed only a 10-kilometre loop, with no time gaps counted for the general classification. Emils Liepins won the sprint at the end of that ceremonial circuit.

At first, Soler was still listed as the overall winner thanks to his stage 1 victory and the absence of time differences on the final day. But the UCI later reversed that outcome. The federation’s regulations state that a stage race must consist of two or more stages — and if the event effectively becomes a single-stage competition, the overall classification cannot stand as an “end victory”.

Result: no overall title for Soler, and no 12th win added to UAE Team Emirates–XRG’s 2026 total.