Mike O'Connor
Wout van Aert has claimed his second stage victory of the 2026 Vuelta a España, winning a reduced stage 15 in Córdoba after organisers cut almost 80km from the route because of extreme heat.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider attacked into the finale and then produced the fastest finish from a five-rider group, beating Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana) and Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) to the line.
The victory was Van Aert’s second in Córdoba, having also won in the Andalusian city in 2024. It was also his second stage win of this year’s Vuelta, following his victory on stage 13.
Stage shortened because of heat
The stage was originally scheduled to cover 189.7km from Palma del Río to Córdoba, but was reduced to just 110.2km after La Vuelta activated its extreme-temperature protocol.
Temperatures in Andalucía were forecast to exceed 40°C, prompting discussions between race organisers, commissaires, teams and riders. The revised route removed much of the original course and its climbing, while the start was also pushed back to the afternoon.
Despite the shorter distance, the racing was aggressive from the outset.
Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United) was one of the first riders to attack, eventually helping establish an 11-rider breakaway. Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) later bridged across on the Puerto de la Forestal, but the gap remained small.
The race exploded again on the Puerto Artafi, with Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility) going clear. Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Premier Tech) followed before Romele, Van Aert and Nys joined the front group.
The five riders quickly established a decisive advantage as the peloton eased off.
Nys attacked with 3km remaining, while Leknessund also tried to break clear, but Van Aert was able to cover the moves. The Belgian then produced his final acceleration to secure the win.
Romele finished second and Nys third, with Debruyne and Leknessund completing the leading group. Alessandro Covi was the fastest of the chasers, 58 seconds behind Van Aert.
Mas keeps red as Australians battle on
There was no change at the top of the general classification, with Enric Mas (Movistar) finishing safely with the main group to retain the red jersey heading into the final rest day.
For the Australian contingent, Jack Haig remains the highest-placed rider, sitting 26th overall, while Callum Scotson is 31st and Luke Tuckwell 48th.
Australia’s GC hopes suffered a setback earlier in the race when Jay Vine abandoned after stage 12, while Kaden Groves is also among the Australians who have withdrawn.
The Vuelta now heads into its second and final rest day before the riders begin the decisive final week, with Mas holding his advantage at the top of the general classification.
Vuelta a España 2026 — General Classification after Stage 15
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Enric Mas | Movistar | — |
| 2 | Felix Gall | Decathlon CMA CGM | +2:06 |
| 3 | Primož Roglič | Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe | +2:10 |
| 4 | Richard Carapaz | EF Education-EasyPost | +4:24 |
| 5 | Oscar Onley | Netcompany Ineos | +5:44 |
| 6 | Jakob Omrzel | Bahrain Victorious | +6:14 |
| 7 | Mattias Skjelmose | Lidl-Trek | +6:49 |
| 8 | Cristian Rodríguez | XDS Astana | +7:01 |
| 9 | Clément Berthet | Groupama-FDJ United | +7:19 |
| 10 | Sepp Kuss | Visma-Lease a Bike | +8:55 |
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
