Sprint king Brennan again head and shoulders above the rest after perfect lead out by Van Aert and Visma
CyclingWednesday, 26 August 2026 at 17:32
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Follow us on GoogleThe fifth stage of the Vuelta a España was once again won by Matthew Brennan. The Briton from Visma | Lease a Bike perfectly finished off the preparatory work of Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte and claimed his second victory in Spain. Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) could not shake off his wheel and finished second, ahead of Vincenzo Albanese (EF Education-EasyPost).
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On Day 4, after the third stage was canceled due to severe weather, the general classification contenders finally got to race. Tadej Pogacar did what was expected of him and essentially sealed his victory in the Vuelta. For the sprinters, Tuesday was mainly about survival and finishing on time, with Wednesday in mind.
After all, that’s probably what the fast riders are thinking: Stage 5 really offers a chance. From Falset, we’ll take a winding route toward the finish in Roquetes, 173 kilometers away. In the final stretch, however, there are a few short climbs, which means attackers will certainly have a chance to make a move. What will the scenario look like at the finish line around 5:30 p.m.?
Read more below the video!
Early breakaway group of 4 pulls ahead—watch out for a echelon!
The unpredictable nature of the final stage still didn’t really lend itself to a long breakaway. There was no major battle for the lead group. After Frederik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility) broke away on his own, he was joined by four other riders: Stefan Küng (Tudor), Mattia Gaffuri (Picnic PostNL), Walter Calzoni (Pinarello - Q36.5), and Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma).
When Küng experienced a mechanical problem a short while later, the leading group had to continue with four riders. The peloton, led by Netcompany INEOS among others, was just over a minute behind after a little less than an hour of racing. But that lead didn’t last long. There was a strong wind in the Ebro Delta, so the danger of echelons was high. Nerves were on edge, and everyone was waiting for the right moment.
At 115 kilometers from the finish, the first breakaway attempt failed, but at 100 kilometers from the finish, the peloton was split further. A group that included polka-dot jersey wearer Lorenzo Fortunato and green jersey wearer Ethan Hayter was not part of the breakaway but was able to rejoin the peloton later. The wind continued to blow for a while, but ultimately did not make a difference.
Read more below the photo!
Pedersen falls behind Pogacar's team
Once calm had returned, we saw another attack. And who else but Ethan Hayter! He may have been wearing Tadej Pogacar’s green jersey, but he set off solo in search of more points. After riding alone for fifteen kilometers, he picked up twenty points, while Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) took second place behind him without having to do anything. After that, the Brit dropped back again.
Everyone was waiting for the hills in the final stretch, and that hilly section began about fifty kilometers from the finish. Andreas Kron (Uno-X Mobility) was the first rider to attack, trying to make things difficult for the sprinters. The Dane set off on his own. Behind him, teams like Netcompany INEOS and Visma | Lease a Bike maintained control. But as the Alto de Pauls loomed ahead, the pace skyrocketed.
It was a real sprint to the base of that climb, which was particularly narrow. UAE Team Emirates-XRG took control there, which meant that Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Mads Pedersen, among others, were dropped. The Dane from Lidl-Trek clearly wasn’t up to the task. Thanks to the pace set by Pogacar’s team, no one was able to break away.
Read more below the video!
The predicted sprint comes into being
A sizeable peloton made it to the top, although some of the faster riders had been dropped. This meant that there were still a few breakaway attempts after the climbs. Xabier Mikel Azparren (Pinarello – Q36.5) attacked twice, but Van Aert was hot on his heels both times. Was he doing this to support Matthew Brennan, or for himself? The other attackers also made their moves. As a result, it turned into a turbulent finale.
But nobody managed to break away for good. Calm returned, and the sprinters’ teams took over. Visma | Lease a Bike took charge and upped the pace. But Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Alberto Dainese (Soudal Quick-Step) had also survived the climbs, as had other fast riders. There was no shortage of competition.
In the winding final kilometres, Uno-X Mobility took the lead, but Visma | Lease a Bike held their own brilliantly at the front. Van Aert took over at the front, with Laporte on his wheel. Everyone was battling for a spot on Brennan’s wheel, but once he was launched after the final bend, there was nothing left to be done. Meeus finished second, with Vincenzo Albanese (EF Education-EasyPost) third.
Result stage 5 of the 2026 Vuelta a España
1. Matthew Brennan
2. Jordi Meeus
3. Vincenzo Albanese
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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
- - Grande artículo, pero el nombre del puerto es Envalira, no “Envilara”, no? Pequeño detalle, pero importa en ciclismo.samanthak26-08-2026
- - Pedersen not there after 25 km of climbing is normal, but calling out the others publicly feels harsh. DS could’ve kept that in the bus—morale matters.bikebuffj26-08-2026
- - Not good enough, but not a disaster. If the team tightens up and gives him wheels deep into the penultimate climb, he can claw back seconds on medium-mountain days. Vamos Mattias!jeremya26-08-2026
- - Quick q: what’s the Envilara climb like compared to Tour climbs? Is it high-altitude causing the legs to go pop?tourdeforce926-08-2026
- - Roglič, Mas, Kuss, Onley, Gall all had the punch today. Skjelmose didn’t. But if he really lost a minute in stage 4 last year and still finished strong, there’s precedent. Keep the faith.sprocketspiny26-08-2026
- - Lidl-Trek’s chase was a mess. How do you end up pacing a group your leader isn’t even in? Communication breakdown or just chaos? Doesn’t inspire confidence.jennifer1926-08-2026
- - Sorry, is “two Grand Tours back-to-back” super common for GC riders? Do most guys struggle like this in the first mountain stage when they do it?cyclechamp4526-08-2026
- - Still early days. If he’s carrying Tour legs/fatigue, a week could flip the script. He limited the loss with Carapaz/Widar before cracking on the last climb—damage control could keep a top-5 GC alive.julien26-08-2026
- - That was a rough watch for Skjelmose in Andorra, especially on home roads. Losing 40 seconds isn’t terminal but the worry is how early he was isolated. If Konrad/Kämna/Bernard aren’t there on Envalira, that’s a tactical hole. DS is right to call it out.breakawaybikerd26-08-2026
- - Fair play to Gall—aggressive, grabbed bonuses, and didn’t crack when the hammer dropped. If he limits losses in the next high-alt days, top 5 GC isn’t crazy. Vamos Felix!pedalpowe2925-08-2026
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