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Here's the Vuelta report from stage ten winner Bastien Tronchon's Team Groupama-FDJ United:
Pure, unadorned happiness. Hungry and eager to bounce back after a first half of the season marred by physical setbacks, Bastien Tronchon had dreamed of making his mark on the Vuelta. He could hardly have imagined just how he would do so on Tuesday, in the tenth stage. The day after the race’s first rest day, the 24-year-old from Savoie stunned everyone, himself included, by winning the bunch sprint in Elche de la Sierra. Beating some of the best puncheurs and sprinters in the field, he claimed the biggest victory of his career, and his first in a Grand Tour. An unexpected win, which also means that Groupama-FDJ United have now secured a stage victory in three consecutive editions of the Vuelta.

Bastien Tronchon wins Vuelta stage ten. Sirotti photo
At the start in Alcaraz on Tuesday, unlike on many other days at the Vuelta, there were plenty of riders who could envisage, or even dream of winning the stage. The course was indeed quite open as the second week’s fight was about to get underway. The 185 kilometres to Elche de la Sierra featured 3,000 metres of climbing, but with no major difficulty on the menu, the list of potential winners was a particularly broad one. Groupama-FDJ United themselves had several options for the day.
“We didn’t know whether it was going to be a breakaway or a bunch finish, but we knew Visma-Lease a Bike would mainly decide the race,” explained Benoît Vaugrenard. “At the start, the main thing was to watch what Van Aert was doing. If he went up the road, Bastien was told not to hesitate and go with him. If Van Aert and his team didn’t move, Bastien had to wait for the sprint.” The Dutch team ultimately opted for the second strategy, although that did not prevent Enzo Paleni from joining a seven-man breakaway. “It was perfect, we just had to let the others chase,” Benoît added. Enzo Paleni, for his part, made a strong effort at the front, first to build a decent advantage during the opening 50 kilometres, and then to sustain in a prolonged battle with the peloton during the second half of the race.
Cautious, the sprinters’ teams tried to keep the escapees within striking distance, but four of them, including the young Groupama-FDJ United rider, managed to come over the final classified climb at the front as countless attacks and counter-attacks unfolded in the bunch. “We stayed very calm and made sure Bastien had to do as little as possible on the final climbs,” Valentin explained. “We’d said in the briefing that we weren’t supposed to move before the sprint, and that’s what we did.”
After a superb battle, Enzo Paleni was caught with seven kilometres to go, just before the false flat rising towards the finish. The increasingly reduced peloton somehow managed to contain the attacks, which nevertheless continued to fly until the final kilometre. “The roads were wide, but it was very demanding, and we knew it was going to be a very tough sprint,” Benoît described. “The final tired out the lead-out trains, which played into our hands because the speed was slightly lower, but the aim was to wait until the very last moment. On roads this wide, you can be tempted to move up early, but we had to wait until the final kilometre. We were worried for a moment because we couldn’t see them, and then suddenly we saw Guillaume come flying through.”
With 500 metres to go, and with two riders still up the road, it was indeed the Frenchman who took control of the peloton himself. “I saw Guillaume. I didn’t even know how far we were from the finish, but I couldn’t feel my legs, so I told him: ‘Go full gas, give it everything you’ve got,’” Bastien recalled. The climber transformed himself into an improvised lead-out man. “I had an opening to launch him in the final kilometre,” Guillaume explained. “It’s not a role I’m used to having, but I’m pretty proud to have added another string to my bow.”
Coming out of the final corner, around 300 metres from the finish, Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet finally launched Bastien Tronchon and the latter didn’t hesitate. “When he pulled off, I thought: ‘It’s a bit far out, but never mind, let’s go for it,’” the Frenchman recounted. “I was able to benefit a little from the slipstream of the two riders ahead. The timing was perfect.” From that moment on, he opened up an advantage that even he was surprised to see hold : “I sprinted all the way to the line, but I didn’t believe it. During the sprint, I thought there were guys ahead of me or that some of them were going to come around me, but I couldn’t see anyone…”
And for good reason. As he went around the final attacker just 25 metres from the line, he managed to hold off the charging pack that had been following him for almost twenty seconds, crossing the finish line as an amazed winner. Hand on his helmet, a look of utter disbelief on his face, before the clenched fist of realization, the hot tears of relief and the warm hugs of his teammates. “It’s crazy. It’s an incredible day,” he said in his very first interview. “This victory means so much to me. You can’t imagine. It’s been a complicated year, and maybe that’s why, even in the sprint, I didn’t believe it.”
Caught between the delay of the television broadcast and the reality unfolding on the road, his sports directors were just as completely taken by surprise. “We saw Guillaume come flying through, and two seconds later RadioTour announced ‘Bastien Tronchon wins’,” Benoît recalled. “We looked at each other in the car and thought that it couldn’t be possible. We still waited to see the video, and then we really exploded. It was an emotional rollercoaster. We couldn’t see them, we thought it was going to be difficult even to fight for a top 10, and then everything changed for us in four seconds. It’s extraordinary. We were just happy.”
Happy also for a young man who had not always had the opportunity to show his full potential in 2026, his first season with the team. “I told myself that I had to trust the process and see what came of it,” he said. “At the start in Monaco, I simply told myself: ‘The work has been done, now I just have to race the way I like to race.’ Today, I was having a really good day, and it had been a very long time since I’d had sensations like these. I told the guys several times that I was really enjoying myself today, despite the fact that the race was pretty hard. I’ve always been aware of what I’m capable of, but I also regularly have setbacks. I had some again this year, but when I’m feeling really good and I tell the guys, they put their full trust in me. It’s just incredible that it came together like this.”
“We know he’s a rider with a lot of qualities,” Benoît said. “He was injured a lot at the beginning of the year, but as this Vuelta has gone on, we’ve seen him gradually coming back and regaining confidence. We weren’t expecting him to win a semi-mass sprint, but everything came together today. He’s not a pure sprinter, but after 3,000 metres of climbing, he can be very strong in this kind of finish, especially when he has good legs. He knew how to make the most of it.”
Now a Grand Tour stage winner, Bastien Tronchon has also delivered a much-anticipated victory for Groupama-FDJ United, and in doing so, lifted a weight off the shoulders of the entire team. “It’s a victory that feels good and makes everyone happy,” Benoît said. “We know how difficult it is to win stages in Grand Tours these days. We certainly had the general classification as an objective with Clément, but a stage win has always had a very special meaning. Now we’ve got it. The Vuelta is a success, it’s going to free everyone up, and there are still some great things to achieve.” “It’s honestly fantastic,” Valentin said. “From now on, it’s all a bonus. There are some great things to go for, whether that’s with Clément and Guillaume in the general classification, or with the rest of us in the breakaways.” The climber from Normandy actually brought this extraordinary day to a close with a few simple words: “There have been highs and lows this season, so we’re going to enjoy this moment.”
Here's the Vuelta report from stage ten third-place Thibau Nys' Team Lidl-Trek:
Thibau Nys secured a hard-fought third place on Stage 10 of the Vuelta a España, delivering a strong performance for Lidl-Trek on a demanding day between Alcaraz and Elche de la Sierra.
The 184.5-kilometre stage provided a challenging test, with almost 3,000 metres of climbing and a tough finale that favoured riders capable of combining climbing strength with a fast finish. After a day of aggressive racing, Nys was part of a reduced peloton fighting for victory in the closing kilometres.
With the help of his Lidl-Trek teammates, Nys positioned himself well as the race entered its decisive phase and showed his resilience on the final climbs. In the sprint for the line, Bastien Tronchon proved the fastest with Magnus Cort finishing second, but Nys followed closely behind to claim third, narrowly edging Wout van Aert for the final place on the podium.

Stage ten gets started as the peloton rolls through the town of Alcaraz.
The result marks an encouraging performance for Nys in his Vuelta debut. The 23-year-old arrived at the race with limited road racing under his belt this season following health setbacks, but he has shown his ability to make an impact on the race’s more selective stages.
After a difficult opening week and the first rest day, Nys has now given Lidl-Trek another strong result as the race enters its second phase. With further hilly and medium-mountain stages still to come, the Belgian will have more opportunities to turn Tuesday’s podium into an even bigger result.
In Thibau's words:
"This was one of the days where I had to perform. I really had the legs I wanted to have and I felt so amazing. It was a bit frustrating as I wanted to make the race as hard as possible so the group got smaller towards the finish line.
"I was a bit too comfortable on the hilly section and so there were still some fast guys. The team did everything perfectly but I got a bit boxed in on the last corner and I had to sprint already at 550m from the line, which wasn’t bad as I came from behind with a lot of speed but then I made a small mistake at the end with 300m to go and sat down one more time. I tried to get in the slipstream but I should have taken the risk and opportunity to win. That’s a bit disappointing for the moment as I should have taken the momentum to try and win as I had nothing to lose.
"As a team, we are trying to optimise our chances. Today we came close but I’m not satisfied yet".
Fourth-place Wout van Aert's Team Visma | Lease a Bike posted this Vuelta report:
Wout van Aert finished fourth in the tenth stage of the Vuelta a España. After a strong showing from Team Visma | Lease a Bike, which controlled the race for a long time, the points classification leader came very close in Elche de la Sierra. In the end, Van Aert had to settle for fourth behind stage winner Bastien Tronchon.

Visma | Lease a Bike rider Sepp Kuss heads to the start.
The tenth stage of the Spanish stage race had already been highlighted as one with opportunities for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The team immediately took control at the front of the peloton. Steven Kruijswijk, among others, kept the seven breakaway riders at a safe distance throughout the afternoon. Deep into the finale, the attackers were reeled in after strong work from Matthew Brennan and Sepp Kuss. Nevertheless, a chaotic situation ensued in the peloton with attacks going back and forth.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike meanwhile set its sights on Van Aert in the streets of Elche de la Sierra. The 31-year-old wearer of the green jersey found himself somewhat isolated and eventually sprinted to fourth place behind winner Tronchon. “Normally, a sprint after a tough race suits me well. It’s a shame I lost my good position in the final kilometer. With around 500 meters to go, I already had to make a big effort. As a result, I came up short in the sprint”, Van Aert says afterwards.
The Belgian continues: “Of course I’m disappointed with the result; we were going all out for the win today. I’m very proud of the work the team put in. We used the whole team to make it a sprint, but unfortunately I couldn’t finish it off. As a team, we have to keep going like this, because I’m convinced there are still many great things to come.”
Here's the Vuelta report from Santiago Buitrago's Team Bahrain Victorious:
Santiago Buitrago completed his first day wearing the KOM jersey, retaining the classification lead after the 184.7km stage 10 from Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra at La Vuelta.
Santiago Buitrago said after the stage: “We expected today to be a hard stage because it was a good day for the breakaway. In the end, only a small group went clear, and the peloton controlled behind, so we decided to put our cards on Pau. Unfortunately, after the rest day, sometimes the body doesn’t respond in the best way.

Wearing his King of the Mountains polka-dotted kit, Santiago Buitrago gets his bike before the start of stage ten. Sirotti photo
The finale was very aggressive on the final climb. We caught the breakaway, and with many riders trying to attack, we always tried to protect Jakob, keep him in the best possible position and avoid taking risks in the finale. I think we safely got through an important stage, and now it’s time to recover and think about tomorrow.”
Oscar Onley's Team Netcompany INEOS posted this Vuelta report:
Oscar Onley retained fourth overall at the Vuelta a Espana as stage 10 ended in an uphill sprint finish.
The Netcompany INEOS rider finished in the peloton into Elche de la Sierra and remains two minutes and 20 seconds back on overall leader Enric Mas (Movistar).

Wearing the white kit of the Best Young Rider, Oscar Onley heads to the start of stage ten. Sirotti photo
Axel Laurance led the team home on the day in 16th place, with Jack Haig hitting the front to string out the bunch heading into the final kilometre.
Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United) won a hotly contested sprint ahead of Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility).
Ben Turner decided not to continue La Vuelta and withdrew from the race during the stage.
And here's the Vuelta report from Team Soudal Quick-Step:
The final Grand Tour of the season resumed Tuesday after a well-deserved rest day. The hilly terrain suited a breakaway, but also the fast men with a bit of punch who could overcome the demanding uphill drag to the line, and this led to a spectacular finale.
Seven riders made it into the breakaway - after a flurry of attacks that featured also Gianmarco Garofoli, Valentin Paret-Peintre and Fabio Van den Bossche - and the peloton had to work hard in order to bring them back, the catch being made only inside ten kilometers to go. As the final climb to the line started, two riders went clear and put more than 50 meters into the chasers, who lacked a team to set the pace and keep things together. Rounding out the last corner, the duo looked on their way to victory, but the bunch came back at an incredible pace and passed them within meters of the line, with the win going to Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ).

The stage ten peloton with 100 km to go.
Wednesday, the race will continue with a 151km stage to Lorca, on another course suiting both the baroudeurs and the fast men that can make it over the climbs.
Here's the team's news:
Two years on from Stevie Williams’ dominant GC victory in the race, NSN’s British riders will once again be at the forefront of the team’s attack at the Lloyds Tour of Britain.
Ethan Vernon will look to take his fifth victory of the season in the sprints, while race debutant Lewis Askey, along with Italian rider Alessandro Pinarello, provide options for the GC battle.
A third British rider, Jake Stewart, alongside Irishman Ryan Mullen and Kiwi Dion Smith add the power and tactical knowledge for the five-day event.
Adding to the distinctly British feel to the race will be Wednesday’s opening stage around the historic cathedral city of Lincoln, with the parcours using many of the roads that make up the much-loved Lincoln Grand Prix, arguably the country’s most popular one-day race.

Steven Williams after stage two of the 2022 Tour of Switzerland. Sirotti photo
Sprints look likely on stages two and three, while the North Yorkshire stage on day four should be where the GC gets decided.
“We have Ethan here, so for sure we are aiming for a few sprints,” says DS Rene Mandri. “Two stages are 100% tailored for him, and maybe we’ll have even three days for him, depending on the race situation and the tactics.
“Stage four is a big GC day, so we have Askey and Pinarello over here for that. We’ll try to do the best we can with them here. There’s tough competition, so it’s not so easy to win, but we’re aiming for it.”
Askey might be in his fifth year as a pro, but he’s never had the chance to compete in his home tour until now.
He says: “I really wanted to be here, actually. I’ve never raced a pro race in Britain before, so I’m looking forward to it.
“I think the GC will all depend on how the first couple of stages go. I think the first stage will decide quite a lot of the race for me.
“I was feeling really good in my first race back since the Tour de France at Bretagne Classic on Sunday – maybe I didn’t ride the best race I could have ridden, but the legs were there.”
Vernon’s sprinting consistency in his home race is noteworthy: he finished in the top four in every sprint on his last appearance here in 2024, having also placed in the top three in four out of six bunch finishes the previous year. That elusive stage win is on the list to check off this week.
“I’m super motivated to race my fifth Tour of Britain off the back of a successful Commonwealth Games in Glasgow,” he says.
“Winning a stage of your home race is what every rider wants – I’ve been second or third seven times now, so getting that first Tour of Britain stage victory is my big target for the week. I’ll have a strong team backing me, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
NSN Cycling Team at the Lloyds Tour of Britain (Wednesday 2 – Sunday 6 September):
Riders: Lewis Askey (GBR), Ryan Mullen (IRL), Alessandro Pinarello (ITA), Dion Smith (NZL), Jake Stewart (GBR), Ethan Vernon (GBR)
Sports Directors: Rene Mandri (EST), Eric Van Lancker (BEL)