Twenty-year-old Jakob Omrzel conquers Calar Alto, Enric Mas extends his Vuelta lead
Slovenian cyclist Jakob Omrzel achieved the biggest victory of his career so far in Stage 12 of the 2026 Vuelta a España, ridden on 3 September from Vera to Calar Alto in Andalusia. The twenty-year-old Bahrain Victorious rider attacked in the finale of the final climb and rode the last approximately 12 kilometres alone, crossing the finish line at 2,153 metres above sea level with almost two minutes of advantage over his nearest pursuer. According to the official Vuelta report, Omrzel thereby became the youngest Slovenian stage winner at a Grand Tour and broke the age benchmark set by Tadej Pogačar at the 2019 Vuelta. At the same time, the battle for overall victory intensified further: Enric Mas attacked his main rivals on the final climb, gained 27 seconds and increased his lead in the general classification to 1:45 over Primož Roglič. The Calar Alto stage therefore simultaneously brought a major breakthrough for one of the youngest riders in the peloton and an important change in the balance of power among the contenders for the red jersey.
The solo attack with which Omrzel turned the breakaway into a historic victory
Stage 12 was 166.6 kilometres long and, according to the organiser's official data, contained 4,568 metres of total climbing, making it one of the toughest sections of that edition of the race up to that point. The route included five categorised climbs, and the final two, Alto de Velefique and Calar Alto, were expected to decide both the stage winner and the new gaps in the overall standings. The final climb to Calar Alto was 17 kilometres long at an average gradient of 5.6 percent, while the finish at 2,153 metres was the highest finishing point of the 2026 Vuelta. The organiser states that Calar Alto had previously hosted a stage finish three times, with Roberto Heras, Igor Antón and Miguel Ángel López among the previous winners on that mountain. Omrzel has now joined that list after an attack whose execution was far more mature than might have been expected from a rider competing in his first Grand Tour.
The fight for the early breakaway was fierce, and after a series of attacks a large group of almost 30 riders formed. Among them were Wout van Aert, João Almeida, Tobias Johannessen, Alexey Lutsenko and several strong climbers, while Bahrain Victorious had as many as three riders in the front group: Omrzel, Santiago Buitrago and Pello Bilbao. According to the Vuelta's official chronological report, Van Aert was first over the earlier climbs of Alto del Cabecico, Alto de Cóbdar and Collado Garcia, while Buitrago collected points for the mountains classification. Such a composition of the breakaway meant that the main group could not completely surrender control, especially because Omrzel had started the day tenth in the general classification. When the breakaway's advantage on the approach to Alto de Velefique grew to around 7:40, the young Slovenian briefly moved into a virtual second place in the general classification.
On Velefique, the race began to break apart. Bahrain Victorious raised the pace in the breakaway, while Movistar controlled the group of favourites behind for Enric Mas. Richard Carapaz tried to open a gap with an attack from the group of main contenders, but was soon brought back. At the top of Velefique, the leaders still had more than five minutes of advantage, and Buitrago took the maximum number of points for the mountains classification. His team therefore entered the finale with two parallel options: Buitrago was protecting the mountains jersey, while Omrzel was given the opportunity to race for the stage victory.
Calar Alto separated the strongest, Omrzel went when the others began to fade
At the start of the final climb, Buitrago maintained a high tempo and further reduced the leading group. With around fifteen kilometres to go, Omrzel, Léo Bisiaux and Urko Berrade remained with him, while behind them the battle between the contenders for overall victory was beginning. Félix Gall attacked from the group of favourites, and Mas and Roglič responded to his move. Omrzel accelerated several times in the front group before finally breaking away approximately 12 kilometres from the finish and heading towards the summit alone. According to Bahrain Victorious's report, the team deliberately used its numerical advantage from the breakaway in the finale, while Buitrago and Bilbao had already done an important part of the work so that Omrzel could attack at the moment when he judged that his rivals had weakened.
The advantage then only increased. Omrzel crossed the finish line in 4 hours, 29 minutes and 53 seconds, while Urko Berrade finished second, 1:56 behind. Santiago Buitrago was third, 2:13 behind the winner, giving Bahrain Victorious two places on the stage podium. Alexey Lutsenko finished fourth, Mauri Vansevenant fifth and Mas sixth. According to his team, this was Omrzel's first professional victory of his career, and the fact that it came precisely on one of the toughest stages of the Vuelta further increases its significance.
After the finish, Omrzel said that his performance did not surprise him considering the work he had put in, but admitted that he had not expected such a major result already in his first three-week race. He particularly highlighted the cooperation within Bahrain Victorious and the role of Buitrago and Bilbao in creating the situation from which he was able to attack. Sports director Franco Pellizotti described the day as exceptional for the team, emphasising both the stage victory and Buitrago's additional points in the mountains classification. Borut Božič, also from the Bahrain Victorious staff, explained that after the national championships the team began seriously considering Omrzel's participation in the Vuelta because the race profile, with numerous mountain-top finishes, suited his characteristics. According to him, because of Omrzel's age there was a question of how he would handle three weeks of racing, but his performances so far have shown that he has adapted very quickly to the highest level.
Younger than Pogačar and the youngest Grand Tour stage winner since 1981
The victory on Calar Alto also has a strong statistical dimension. Official Vuelta data state that Omrzel was 20 years, five months and 13 days old on the day of his victory. This made him the youngest Slovenian stage winner in Grand Tour history, surpassing Tadej Pogačar, who won his first Grand Tour stage at the 2019 Vuelta at the age of 20 years, 11 months and 10 days. Pogačar won Stage 9 then, finishing at Cortals d'Encamp in Andorra, also in his first three-week race. Omrzel also became the youngest winner of a Grand Tour stage since Spaniard Celestino Prieto, who won at the 1981 Vuelta at the age of 20 years, two months and 27 days.
Omrzel himself did not try to turn the comparison with Pogačar into a bigger story than the result objectively warrants. After the stage, he said that he primarily sees the age record as a statistic, albeit a pleasant one. Such a response fits with the course of his career so far, in which rapid progress came without a long adaptation period between the development and WorldTour levels. Bahrain Victorious announced in September 2025 that Omrzel would move into their WorldTour team as early as 2026, although he had originally been expected to spend another season in the development squad. The decision was made after his results in 2025, among which the overall victory at the Giro Next Gen, one of the most important stage races for riders under 23, particularly stood out.
At the 2025 Giro Next Gen, Omrzel secured the overall victory only on the final day, finishing the race 12 seconds ahead of Luke Tuckwell. That result already marked the Slovenian as a rider with potential for stage races, while fourth place at the Tour of Slovenia in the same year showed that he could also compete with more experienced professionals. The victory on Calar Alto is now a qualitatively new step: his first professional triumph came in a WorldTour-level race, against riders who regularly decide the biggest stage races. More importantly, it was not achieved through a fortunate sprint from a small breakaway, but with a long solo attack on a high-mountain finish.
Mas attacked at the right moment and took 27 seconds from Roglič, Gall and Carapaz
While Omrzel confidently built his advantage at the head of the race, the day's other key story was unfolding behind him. Félix Gall tried to put race leader Enric Mas under pressure with an attack on Calar Alto, and Primož Roglič reacted immediately. Mas then launched a counterattack and managed to distance his main rivals. The Spaniard crossed the finish line sixth, 2:56 behind Omrzel, while Gall, Roglič and Richard Carapaz arrived 27 seconds later. The gap is not enormous in absolute terms, but in a race in which every mountain-top finish gradually shapes the general classification, it represents an important gain for the rider in the red jersey.
After Stage 12, Mas leads Roglič by 1:45, while Gall is third at 2:06. Carapaz is fourth at 3:53, Oscar Onley fifth at 4:29, while Omrzel, thanks to the large amount of time gained from the breakaway, jumped from tenth to sixth place, 4:59 behind Mas. Onley crashed at a roundabout during the stage and managed to return to the race, but lost time on the final climb and dropped to fifth overall. Nevertheless, he retained the white jersey as the best young rider, with approximately half a minute of advantage over Omrzel.
After the stage, Mas particularly emphasised the importance of the 27 seconds he gained over his main rivals. According to a statement published on the official Vuelta website, he praised the work of the entire Movistar team and assessed that this time buffer could prove valuable in the final week of the race. He also added that he knows Calar Alto very well because Movistar held two training camps there during the winter. Such familiarity with the climb may have played an important role in choosing the moment to attack, especially on a long finale where accelerating too early can easily become a tactical mistake.
Bahrain Victorious gained a stage winner and further strengthened the mountains classification
For Bahrain Victorious, the stage did not end only with Omrzel's victory. With third place and the points collected on the categorised climbs, Buitrago further strengthened his position in the mountains classification. The team already had three riders in the key breakaway early in the day, allowing it to control the tactical scenarios that developed on the final two climbs. Bilbao worked on selection and management of the group, Buitrago collected points and dictated the tempo, while Omrzel preserved enough strength for the final attack. Such a division of roles proved almost ideal.
The official Vuelta report states that Wout van Aert was particularly active during the first part of the stage, taking the leading positions on the first three categorised climbs and at the intermediate sprint in Velefique. Buitrago responded by collecting points behind him and then taking the maximum haul on Alto de Velefique. By the time the fight for the stage victory moved onto Calar Alto, the Belgian was no longer among the riders capable of following the best climbers. The finale therefore belonged to the teams and riders who had managed to distribute their energy throughout the day for the long final climb.
Omrzel's jump to sixth place in the general classification also opens a new tactical question for the continuation of the Vuelta. Bahrain Victorious now has a rider who is within five minutes of the red jersey, and this after a stage on which he showed that he can maintain a high tempo while riding alone on a difficult climb. This does not necessarily mean that the team will change its original goals and treat him as a contender for the overall podium, particularly because of his age and the fact that this is his first Grand Tour. However, his position in the standings limits the freedom that rivals will be willing to give him in future breakaways. After Calar Alto, he is no longer merely a promising young rider who can be allowed to ride several minutes ahead of the main group.
The Vuelta continues through Granada, with new opportunities for gaps ahead of the favourites
Already on 4 September, the Vuelta continues with Stage 13 from Almuñécar to Loja over 192.8 kilometres. The organiser classifies the stage as medium mountain, with the first-category Venta de la Cebada, third-category Alto del Legionario and second-category Puerto de Granada climbs. The profile is not the same as on Calar Alto, but the combination of distance and rolling terrain can once again encourage a large breakaway and a tactically demanding race. For Mas and his main rivals, it will be particularly important to avoid losses before another difficult mountain stage.
A day later, on 5 September, Stage 14 from Jaén to Sierra de La Pandera is scheduled, another finish that could be important for the general classification. Mas enters this part of the race with a larger buffer than before Calar Alto, but Roglič, Gall and Carapaz remain close enough for one bad stage to reopen the battle. Omrzel, meanwhile, suddenly finds himself in a completely different position: after his victory and leap in the standings, every move he makes will be watched more closely.
Calar Alto may therefore be remembered as one of the pivotal days of the 2026 Vuelta. In the overall battle, Mas showed that he is not merely a rider defending the red jersey, but also a leader ready to attack when he recognises an opportunity. For Bahrain Victorious, the stage brought an almost perfect tactical outcome, with victory, a podium place and points in the mountains classification. And for Jakob Omrzel, born on 21 March 2006, 3 September 2026 became the date of his first professional victory and the moment when he moved from the status of a great talent into the ranks of the genuine protagonists of one of the world's three biggest stage races.
Sources:
- La Vuelta - official Stage 12 report, race chronology, age record, results and general classification (link)
- La Vuelta - official Stage 12 Vera-Calar Alto profile, distance, climbs and finish altitude (link)
- La Vuelta - Enric Mas's statement after Stage 12 and his comments on the 27-second advantage gained on Calar Alto (link)
- La Vuelta - Jakob Omrzel's statement after his victory and his comments on the age record compared with Tadej Pogačar (link)
- Bahrain Victorious - team report on Omrzel's first professional victory and the tactical roles of Buitrago and Bilbao (link)
- Bahrain Victorious - official announcement of Omrzel's move to the WorldTour and his results in the 2025 development category (link)
- La Vuelta - official Stage 13 Almuñécar-Loja profile and schedule for the continuation of the race (link)
- Giro Next Gen - official report of the final stage in 2025 and confirmation of Omrzel's overall victory by 12 seconds (link)