Vuelta a España stage 5 LIVE: Sprinters eye a second opportunity, but punchy approach to the finish opens door to attacks
Falset. Costa Daurada to Roquetes. Terres de l'Ebre, 173.4 km
170km to go
Stage 5 of the Vuelta a España is finally underway! 181 riders took the start this afternoon with Uijtdebroeks the only non starter.
The start of stage 5 has been slightly delayed. There were several mechanicals during the neutralised start. Racing will begin 2.5 kilometres into the original route.
Very relaxed atmosphere at the start this morning, with the organisers even providing some pre-sign on entertainment for the riders. Former red jersey winner Sepp Kuss looking solid here in his decision making...
The riders are gone from the neutralised start of stage 5 at the Vuelta. They have 5.2 kilometres of neutral roads to compete with before racing gets going properly.
The big pre-stage news to bring you is that Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar) has had to abandon the race after struggling through yesterday's stage to finish last, feeling the effects of an earlier crash as his rotten luck continues. Read more about his nightmare stage below.
Cian Uijtdebroeks abandons the Vuelta a España following tearful last-place finish on stage 4
If you missed any of the action on Tuesday, make sure to catch up with our race report, detailing Tadej Pogačar completely decimation of his rivals at the first opportunity, winning with a 50km solo move.
Vuelta a España: Tadej Pogačar twists the knife with 50km solo raid in Andorra to win stage 4
Read our preview of today's stage for a rundown of the route in Catalonia. Those who came to the fore on stage 2 are expected to feature again, the likes of Matthew Brennan and Wout van Aert (both Visma-Lease a Bike) and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).
Vuelta a España 2026 stage 5 preview: Will Tadej Pogačar take a break from attacking?
After the major GC action of stage 4, racing is expected to swing back in favour of the fast men on today's flatter stage from Falset. Costa Daurada to Roquetes. Terres de l'Ebre on what is, finally, the first day of racing in Spain.
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 5 of the Vuelta a España!
