On Thursday, September 10, 2026, the Vuelta a España saw a crucial day of racing with Stage 18, a 32.5-kilometer individual time trial (ITT) held on a completely flat course connecting El Puerto de Santa María and Jerez de la Frontera.
Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), the reigning national time trial champion of his country, finished the stage in 24th place, crossing the finish line one minute and 45 seconds behind the winning time.
Despite the time lost, his performance allowed him to maintain his strong position near the top of the standings. Following this stage, Carapaz solidified his fourth-place standing in the General Classification, trailing the red jersey—still held by Spaniard Enric Mas (Movistar Team)—by five minutes and 17 seconds.
Ahead of the Ecuadorian, the provisional podium consists of Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora), 1:37 behind the leader, and Austrian rider Felix Gall (Decathlon-CMA CGM), at 3:01.
The day’s winner was the experienced Swiss time-trial specialist Stefan Küng (Tudor Pro Cycling), who flew across the tarmac to clock a time of 35 minutes and 22 seconds. Second place went to the young Briton Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora)—the day’s surprise performer—who occupied the “hot seat” for a long spell and finished just three seconds behind the Swiss rider.
Portuguese rider João Almeida (UAE Emirates-XRG) rounded out the podium, finishing the stage in third place, 9 seconds behind Küng.
