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We posted the race organizer's report with the results.
Here's the Vuelta report from stage winner Mikel Landa's Team Soudal Quick-Step:
Mikel Landa produced a vintage display to win from the breakaway and earn his place in the history books of the Spanish Grand Tour as the rider with the longest gap between two stage victories: 11 years. It was Mikel’s first success in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey and one that the entire Wolfpack will always remember, at the end of an arduous day of racing, with five classified climbs and 4900 vertical meters.
Echelons, splits, a numerous breakaway, and an even larger chasing group containing four Soudal Quick-Step riders - the first two hours of the race had everything. Gianmarco Garofoli, Valentin Paret-Peintre and Filippo Zana were all there for Mikel Landa and chased hard to reduce the gap to the leaders before the 36-year-old Basque made his move and set out in pursuit of the front group. With 55 kilometers to go, Mikel joined the main breakaway, which disintegrated half an hour later on the harsh slopes of Puerto de El Duque.

Mikel Landa wins Vuelta stage 20. Sirotti phto
Only Mikel, a stage winner at the Vuelta in 2015, and two other riders remained up the road as they crested this steep first-category climb, and they worked together to expand the gap on the chasers to four minutes by the time they arrived at the bottom of the final ascent. There, the experienced Basque attacked seven kilometers from the line, dropping his breakaway companions and continuing to tap out a strong rhythm on the brutal gradients of Collada del Alguacil, a beast of a climb that welcomed the Vuelta for the first time in the history of the race.
It was a huge effort, one that Mikel could feel in the legs with each meter that brought him closer to the summit, but nothing could stop one of the peloton’s last romantic riders from his rendezvous with history and with an unforgettable and exhilarating victory that he took after five hours in the saddle.
“I didn’t expect this, but I dreamed about it. It was the last opportunity to do something and I was extremely motivated today. It feels incredible to be again a stage winner here, after so many years! It was a really hard season and a hard race, but today I made it and I want to thank the team for their confidence and amazing support throughout the entire race. I’m very happy, as I was really looking for this win, and to succeed today, just before the last stage in Granada, is fantastic. It’s a moment that will forever have a special place in my heart”, an emotional Mikel said after signing off Soudal Quick-Step’s 41st La Vuelta stage win.
Here's the Vuelta stage 20 report from Oscar Onley's Team Netcompany INEOS:
Oscar Onley battled hard with the support of his teammates on the penultimate stage of the Vuelta a Espana.
The Scot dug deep after being distanced from the select General Classification group, but was able to limit his losses across a mountainous Queen Stage with the help of his teammates.
At the conclusion of the stage Onley now sits in sixth place overall, but was able to retain the white Young Rider's jersey heading into Sunday's finale in Granada.

Oscar Onley finishes stage 20. Sirotti nphoto
Jack Haig was joined by Carlos Rodriguez and early breakaway riders Embret Svestad-Bardseng and Lucas Hamilton to help measure the gap for Onley to the overall contenders.
In the end a long-range attack from Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike) saw the American jump up six places into fifth overall. Up ahead the breakaway went on to contest the stage, with Mikel Landa (Soudal - Quick-Step) claiming victory.
We posted the report from race winner Ion Izagirre's Team Cofidis with the results.
Here's the report from second-place Giulio Pellizzari's Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:
The 192-kilometre route around Cesenatico, home of the legendary climber for whom the Memorial Pantani is named, was on the programme for Giulio, Adrien Boichis, Alexander Hajek, Jai Hindley, Daniel Felipe Martinez, Florian Lipowitz and Aleksandr Vlasov. The final 45 kilometres were completely flat – so it was down to the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe team, which is particularly strong on climbs, to force an early decision.

Ion Izagirre wins the 2026 Memeorial Marco Pantani.
After Jai initially made it into a break that was subsequently reeled in, Giulio attacked on the penultimate climb. Alongside Izagirre, last year’s winner Michael Storer and Mikkel Honoré went with him. As the second group behind them consisted mainly of teammates from the leading quartet, the gap quickly widened to one minute. The group defended this lead right up to the home straight, with Giulio spending most of the time in the wind on the way there.
Giulio’s ride the day before had taken its toll
In the final, he was then a few grains short of being able to counter Izagirre’s decisive surge. The 22-year-old may well have already used up those reserves in the days prior, when he won the Giro della Toscana three days earlier and, later at the Coppa Sabatini, was caught by the chasers just 50 metres from the finish line after a long solo breakaway, finishing sixth.
Jai also finished sixth in the Pantani race, having come second from the chasing group.