Jay Vine sits 10th as Pogačar blows Vuelta wide open after five stages

Tadej Pogačar has wasted little time putting his stamp on the 2026 Vuelta a España, building a lead of more than three minutes after just five stages and leaving his rivals with plenty of work to do if they are to keep the race alive.

The Slovenian leads four-time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič by 3min 21sec, with Enric Mas third at 3:32. Australian Jay Vine is the best-placed rider from Down Under in 10th, 4:11 behind Pogačar.

The race’s defining moment came on stage four in Andorra, when Pogačar turned what had been a relatively compact general classification into a significant gap.

With more than 50km still remaining, Pogačar launched an attack on the Collada de Beixalis and quickly established a sizeable advantage. He continued alone to the finish, eventually winning by 2min 39sec.

It was a statement of intent from the 27-year-old, who is chasing his first Vuelta title after finishing third on his debut in 2019.

Pogačar had already taken the race’s opening time trial in Monaco, beating fellow Slovenian Matej Mohorič over the 9.4km course and taking the first red jersey of the race.

His advantage now means Roglič, who is chasing a fifth Vuelta victory, has a considerable deficit to overcome even though the race is still in its opening week.

Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad has also demonstrated its strength, controlling the race before the stage-four attack and allowing the defending Tour de France champion to make his move at the right moment.

Vine was among those doing the work for Pogačar. The Australian finished 11th on the Andorran stage and remains inside the overall top 10, although his personal position is secondary to his role in the UAE team.

After the stage, Pogačar specifically acknowledged Vine’s work.

“When Jay [Vine] let me pass on the wheel of Decathlon, then I knew, OK, I don’t want to be also isolated against all the GC riders, because they will all play against me.”

The result has left Pogačar in a commanding position heading into the next block of racing.

There has already been plenty of disruption to the opening week. Stage three was cancelled because of extreme weather, with severe hail making conditions unsafe and forcing organisers to abandon the planned finish at Font-Romeu.

Stage five finally provided a more conventional conclusion, although the late climb was enough to shake up the sprinting field.

Matthew Brennan claimed his second victory of the Vuelta, beating Jordi Meeus and Vincenzo Albanese in Roquetes. The 21-year-old Briton had also won stage two, making him the standout sprinter of the opening five days.

For Australian Kaden Groves, it was a disappointing opportunity. Groves is targeting stage victories and another points classification title, but the late climb proved too difficult and he was unable to contest the finish.

With Pogačar also collecting points at the intermediate sprints and on the climbs, Groves now faces an uphill battle for the green jersey.

Behind the race favourite, there are several Australians gaining valuable Grand Tour experience. Vine’s 10th place makes him the clear Australian GC leader, while 21-year-old Luke Tuckwell sits 42nd, with Rudy Porter 66th.

Vuelta a España – General Classification after Stage 5

Pos.	Rider	Team	Time
1	Tadej Pogačar 🇸🇮	UAE Team Emirates-XRG	18:32:07
2	Primož Roglič 🇸🇮	Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe	+3:21
3	Enric Mas 🇪🇸	Movistar Team	+3:32
4	Felix Gall 🇦🇹	Decathlon CMA CGM	+3:37
5	Sepp Kuss 🇺🇸	Visma-Lease a Bike	+3:42
6	Oscar Onley 🇬🇧	Team Picnic PostNL	+3:45
7	Richard Carapaz 🇪🇨	EF Education-EasyPost	+3:48
8	Mikel Landa 🇪🇸	Soudal Quick-Step	+3:54
9	João Almeida 🇵🇹	UAE Team Emirates-XRG	+4:01
10	Jay Vine 🇦🇺	UAE Team Emirates-XRG	+4:11