Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) finished the 2026 edition of the Vuelta a España in fourth place in the general classification. Stage 21, a 112 km route between Carrefour Granada and Granada, took place this Sunday, September 13.
Richard Carapaz concluded his campaign at the Vuelta a España, wrapping up three weeks of competing at the highest level against the world’s best cyclists in a bid to reach the podium.
In Stage 21—won by Norwegian rider Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X) in a dramatic, photo-finish sprint against Italian Alessandro Romele (Astana)—Carapaz crossed the line in 59th place, 1 minute and 49 seconds behind the day’s winner.
In previous appearances at the Spanish race, ‘Richie’ finished 36th in 2017, 17th in 2018, second in 2020 (finishing 24 seconds behind Primož Roglič, who was riding for Jumbo-Visma at the time), 14th in 2022, and fourth in both 2024 and 2026.
This edition was won by Spaniard Enric Mas (Movistar), who led the race from Stage 8, following the surprise withdrawal of Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) after a nasty crash.
Second place went to fellow Slovenian Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), whose palmarès includes four victories in Spain’s premier cycling event: 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024.
Third place went to Austrian rider Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), who secured his second Grand Tour podium finish. His best performance came earlier this year at the Giro d’Italia, where he secured a commendable second-place finish.
The ‘Locomotive’s’ next competition will be the Road World Cycling Championships, taking place from September 20 to 27 in Montreal, Canada, marking the conclusion of his annual schedule.
Ranking general
| Pos. | Ciclista | Equipo | Diferencia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E. Mas | Movistar Team | — |
| 2 | P. Roglic | Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe | +2′ 15” |
| 3 | F. Gall | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | +2′ 44” |
| 4 | R. Carapaz | EF Education – EasyPost | +6′ 54” |
| 5 | S. Kuss | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | +8′ 45” |
Source: EL Comercio