September 5, 2026
We've seen many olive trees throughout the last few stages in Andalusia but nothing like what's to offer around the start town of Jaén. In the first 80 km the 154 km stage, there are no categorized climbs but the parcours is constantly rolling and riders will have to stay on the pedals even when sitting in the slip stream. The first categorized climb comes on the 10 km Puertoviejo but it will act more as a softening up with the summit coming still 61 km from the finish. The descent will take the riders across the Viboras River and over to the white-washed mountain town of Castillo de Locubín situated on the San Juan River where the Intermediate Sprint will be contested. The finale will begin here because immediately after the sprint, the Puerto de Locubín starts and rises for nearly 9 km at 5%. A few more rollers follow before the riders will reach the base final climb of the Sierra de la Pandera. At 11.8 km long, Sierra de la Pandera averages 7.5% but there are steeper sections within as it climbs to over 1,800 meters above sea level. The GC riders will certainly come out to play but the question is whether any team is strong enough to keep the race close enough to also be in contention for the stage win.
Race Summary
Although still hot, the heat has ebbed in the higher elevations around Jaén making for a slightly more comfortable day in the saddle. As was predicted, the start was aggressive and a large group broke away from the peloton. In all, 44 riders got up the road and with 95 km to go, the break was climbing La Guardia de Jaén and had 3 minutes 40 seconds on the peloton being led by Movistar. There was no threat on GC up the road and the Spanish squad did not seem keen to close the move down. The race had already settled into a holding pattern and was waiting for the start of the Puertoviejo to kick off again.
The riders passed through downtown Jaén over the paving stones and passed the Cathedral of the Assumption. Once the break left the city, they started climbing towards the Puertoviejo with an expanded gap of 4 minutes 40 seconds. There was no urgency in either group and the whole race seemed to be in a slumber, exhausted by the heat and hard racing. 5 minutes was the gap at the official start of the climb with 72 km to go. Pinarello Q36.5, Burgos-Burpellet BH, and Jayco AlUla had good numbers in the front group but it was Bahrain Victorious who were setting the pace with Pello Bilbao for the prospect of the Mountains Points for Santiago Buitrago who was tucked in just behind. Buitrago popped out of the group and took the KOM at the top without too much trouble from the others to start the descent with a reduced lead of 4 minutes.
The views on the descent were incredible with every visible piece of land covered in olive trees, even on the sloping mountain side. At the bottom of the descent with 54 km to go through Fuensanta de Martos, the first change in the situation came when Kevin Vermaerke of UAE-XRG went on the attack to split up the break and make a smaller, better working group to go away with. No one was initially able to come across to the American and with 44 km to go, Vermaerke had built 55 seconds on the rest of the chase and nearly 6 minutes to peloton who had eased off the pace again.
Vermaerke continued through the sea of olives to the Intermediate Sprint in Castillo de Locubín with 31 km to go and he was piling on time to his advantage over the everyone else. As he crossed the line to take the points, he had 1 minute 40 seconds on the chase group and over 8 minutes to the peloton who had completely taken their foot off the gas. Vermaerke doused himself in cold water every chance he could as he began climbing the Puerto de Locubín in an effort to keep the engine cooled down. 3 km from the top, Bilbao was dragging the chase group but was having a hard time bringing much time back on Vermaerke. 1 minute 25 seconds still separated the groups and no one had tried to attack, likely with the Sierra de la Pandera looming in their minds. At the top with 21 km to go, Vermaerke took the points but the chase from Bilbao and a few riders from XDS-Astana had the gap down to 55 seconds. Interestingly, Cristián Rodríguez of XDS-Astana sprinted for the top as did Clément Berthet of Groupama-FDJ United who were both looking to take a few bonus seconds on the line. Buitrago got squeezed in the sprint and was not there to contest as Rodríguez led to take 4 seconds off his 11+ minute deficit in the GC.
The race really kicked off on the descent and the gap to Vermaerke disintegrated. Georg Steinhauser of EF-Education EasyPost was nearly across to Vermaerke when they reached an absolute wall at the base of the climb through the streets of Valdepeñas de Jaén. The enormous crowd was on-hand to watch the riders haul their way up 18% gradients and, as they came over the top of the steep section, Steinhauser caught Vermaerke with the rest of the chase only another 25 seconds behind.
Steinhauser dropped Vermaerke as they started the final climb of the Sierra de la Pandera. XDS-Astana were still pulling but Steinhauser slowly increased his advantage as the road climbed. 10 km from the finish, he had 40 seconds but it seemed like there was still lots of firepower waiting in the chase. 1 km later, Guillaume Martin of Groupama-FDJ United crossed the gap and joined Steinhauser at the front. They turned off a high way and onto a narrow road just outside 8 km to go with around 45 seconds on the chase. The climb was very irregular with ramps of 15% then flat sections before rising again. On each ramp, someone from the chase would accelerate and drop riders out the back and draw closer to the leading duo. With 7 km to go, Mario Aparicio of Burgos-Burpellet BH joined the lead group. Rodríguez, Buitrago, Marco Brenner of Tudor Pro Cycling, Filippo Zana and Valentin Paret-Peintre of Soudal Quickstep, and Iván Ramiro Sosa of Equipo Kern Pharma closing formed the next group on the road and were within 20 seconds of the now three leaders.
Zana and Brenner joined the front to make five leaders with 6.3 km to go and Zana immediately hit the group with an attack. Martin was briefly distanced but the five came back together and stalled in their effort. Rodríguez, Buitrago, Paret-Peintre, and Sosa brided up during the moment of calm. Aparicio wasn't content with the situation and, with good legs, the Spaniard attacked in a bid for the victory. Aparicio went through 4 km to go with no one in direct camera shot behind but the attacks were coming. Brenner, Buitrago, Paret-Peintre, and Rodríguez were closing in and made the catch of Aparicio with 3.5 km to go on the steep ramps of 16%. Buitrago hammered on the front and got a gap on everyone else with Brenner holding on as his closest rival. Brenner caught up with Buitrago 1 km later and it looked to be a two horse race but they marked each other out and allowed Sosa and Rodríguez to re-enter the frame.
Sosa hit the gas with 1,200 meters to go on pitches of 12% but others were able to match the effort and they went under the 1 km banner as a quartet. In the last moments before the road tipped downwards, Buitrago jumped from fourth wheel and got a good gap. Brenner sprang to the danger while Sosa and Rodríguez hung their heads with nothing in reserve to respond. Buitrago led down a steep section of a few hundred meters and Brenner reached the Colombian's back wheel at 300 meters to go when the started climbing once again. The pair came side by side on the narrow passage before Brenner opened the sprint with 250 meters to go which surprised Buitrago enough that a small gap formed. Brenner held the margin through the last corner and was able to hold it to the line for the maiden Grand Tour win for himself as well as for his Tudor Pro Cycling team. Buitrago coasted in, defeated, for second place with Rodríguez in third followed by Sosa in fourth a few moments later.
In the peloton, Movistar led up the lower slopes of the Sierra de la Pandera until they were completely out of riders to work for Enric Mas. EF-Education EasyPost went to the front to set a pace but they didn't last long and the favorites group nearly came to stand still. With Jack Haig still there in support of Oscar Onley, Netcompany-Ineos began to ride and took the favorites inside 7 km to go. Pablo Castrillo came back from the break and paced Mas and the others for a number of kilometers before pulling off and leaving his team leader to handle the rest of the mountain on his own. Richard Carapaz of EF-Education EasyPost took the opportunity to attack which attracted the attention of Felix Gall of Decathlon CMA CGM then Mas and Primož Roglič of Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe followed. Carapaz was brought back and the four riders looked at each other with no one willing to ride. The situation changed when the favorites caught Raúl García Pierna of Movistar who had been in the early break. He went to the front and rode a very hard pace for Mas which distanced Roglič and Carapaz with 2 km to go. Gall took turns pulling with García Pierna in hopes of jumping into second in GC over Roglič. Gall took the speed from the little downhill and ripped up the last 350 meter rise to the finish with Mas in his slip stream.
Roglič crossed the line 17 seconds down which was not enough for the Slovenian to keep his second overall. Gall now sits in second at 2 minutes 6 seconds with Roglič just 4 seconds behind. Although Felix Gall had a good day on the road, he lost Jordan Labrosse during the stage, leaving him with just five teammates left in the race after losing Gregor Mühlberger yesterday. With 4 minutes gained on the day, Rodríguez moved up three spots in GC to eighth and now sits just over 7 minutes down. Sepp Kuss of Visma-Lease a Bike continued to leak time and has slipped to tenth at almost 9 minutes.