Vuelta a España 2021
Primoz Roglic wins the 2021 Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España stage 21 - As it happened
Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) won his third consecutive overall title at the 2021 Vuelta a España after winning the stage 21 time trial at Santiago de Compostela. He secured the overall title by 4:42 ahead of Enric Mas (Movistar) and 7:40 ahead of Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious).
Roglič, once again, proved his strength in the individual time trial, storming passed his closest rival, Enric Mas (Movistar), who started the event two minutes ahead. Roglič even went as far as to sprint passed Mas on the final up hill toward the finish line to take the stage win and to seal his overall victory at the Vuelta a España.
The stage 21 time trial was 33.8km and although it was fairly straight forward it was not completely void of challenges. There was a gradual climb during the first half that peaked at around the 15km mark. The route then headed downhill with some winding and technical sections followed by an undulating profile to the finish line at Santiago de Compostela.
Roglič covered the course in a winning time of 44:02 to beat runner-up Magnus Cort (EF Education-Nippo) by 14 seconds and third placed Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) by 52 seconds.
The special honours went to Roglič as the winner of the overall classification. The Slovenian opened his account at the three-week race by winning the stage 1 time trial to take the first leader's jersey in Burgos.
He lost the race lead after stage 3 to Rein Taaramae (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) in Picón Blanco, and the jersey then moved onto the shoulders of Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) at the end of stage 5 in Albacete.
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Roglič took the red jersey back after finishing second on stage 6 on Alto de la Montaña de Cullera and held it through the next three mountain stages.
He then crashed on the final descent of stage 10 and the red jersey went to Odd Christian Eiking (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) in Rincón de la Victoria, who would keep the jersey for the next week of racing.
Roglič took the overall race lead back with a stellar performance on stage 17 to Lagos de Covadonga and he maintained his lead through the final time trial on stage 21 at Santiago de Compostela.
| Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma | 0:44:02 |
| 2 | Magnus Cort (Den) EF Education-Nippo | 0:00:14 |
| 3 | Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM | 0:00:52 |
| 4 | Josef Cerny (Cze) Deceuninck-QuickStep | 0:01:16 |
| 5 | Chad Haga (USA) Team DSM | 0:01:43 |
| 6 | Egan Bernal Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers | 0:01:49 |
| 7 | Felix Grossschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:01:52 |
| 8 | Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma | |
| 9 | Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:02:04 |
| 10 | Ion Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech | 0:02:06 |
| Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma | 83:55:29 |
| 2 | Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:04:42 |
| 3 | Jack Haig (Aus) Bahrain Victorious | 0:07:40 |
| 4 | Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers | 0:09:06 |
| 5 | Gino Mäder (Swi) Bahrain Victorious | 0:11:33 |
| 6 | Egan Bernal Gomez (Col) Ineos Grenadiers | 0:13:27 |
| 7 | David de la Cruz (Spa) UAE Team Emirates | 0:18:33 |
| 8 | Sepp Kuss (USA) Jumbo-Visma | 0:18:55 |
| 9 | Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis | 0:20:27 |
| 10 | Felix Grossschartner (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:22:22 |
News and features
Stage 20
- Miguel Angel López storms out of Vuelta a España during penultimate stage
- Tour de France scars make Roglic cautious of final TT at Vuelta a España
- López quit Vuelta a España after reportedly being ordered to stop chasing on stage 20
- Jack Haig moves into third place overall at Vuelta a España
- López apologises and blames 'many factors' for Vuelta a España withdrawal
- Vuelta a España: Bernal and Yates content after Ineos dynamite hilly penultimate stage
- Movistar manager says López's head 'disconnected' when he left Vuelta a España
- Champoussin savours 'unexpected' stage victory at Vuelta a España
- Jakobsen survives final Vuelta a España mountain test with teammates by his side
Stage 19
- Roglic denies that he is already Vuelta a España champion
- Cort hails Craddock and sports director after third Vuelta a España stage win
- Quinn Simmons: We made it to the finish and I just got beaten in the sprint by someone stronger
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 19 highlights - Video
Stage 18
- Vuelta a España: Roglic 'one day closer' after solid mountain defence on the Gamoniteiru
- Miguel Ángel López: I’ve won on a very important day at the Vuelta a España
- Jack Haig: I wanted a hard day at Vuelta a España to see if anyone cracked
Stage 17
- Roglic roars back into red with stunning Vuelta a España stage 17 victory
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 17 highlights - Video
- Vuelta a España: Movistar put on brave face in defeat on Lagos de Covadonga
- Bernal calls Roglic 'the brave one' after long-distance Vuelta a España attack
- Eiking’s Vuelta a España’s leadership ends in pain and disappointment
Stage 16
- Fabio Jakobsen: The green jersey is the goal at the Vuelta a España
- Molard in hospital with collapsed lung after Vuelta a España crash
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 16 highlights - Video
- Odd Christian Eiking: I'm not giving away the Vuelta a España lead for free
- Ciccone abandons Vuelta a España after stage 16 crash
Stage 15
- Majka dedicates Vuelta a España win to memory of father
- Odd Christian Eiking recognises time in Vuelta a España lead is likely limited
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 15 highlights - Video
- Kruijswijk second as Jumbo-Visma test luck again in Vuelta a España breaks
- Egan Bernal praises Adam Yates’ late Vuelta a España attack as 'good for morale'
- Richard Carapaz abandons Vuelta a Espana 'totally empty'
Stage 14
- Eiking defends Vuelta a España lead against the odds
- Bernal 'a bit better' in Vuelta a España after finishing with Roglic
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 14 highlights - Video
- Bardet claims first Vuelta a España stage after 'almost giving up' on breakaway
- Vuelta a España: Jay Vine overcomes crash with team car to take third on mountain stage
- López strengthens third place overall in Vuelta a España with late attack
Stage 13
- Florian Sénéchal: Vuelta a España win is a reward for hard work
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 13 highlights - Video
- Egan Bernal: Gaining five seconds on a flat stage isn't a big deal
Stage 12
- Vuelta a España leader Eiking remains in red after a third tough day
- Nieve battles on despite injuries in Vuelta a España and uncertain future
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 12 highlights - Video
- Michael Matthews: We got jumped a little bit in Vuelta a España sprint
- Magnus Cort relies on sprinting roots to take second stage win at Vuelta a España
- Primoz Roglic and Adam Yates crash on Vuelta a España climb
Stage 11
- Cort comes close to second Vuelta a España stage win on Spanish 'Mur de Huy'
- Mas and López upbeat despite narrow defeat by Roglic on Vuelta a España uphill finish
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 11 highlights - Video
- Vuelta a España: I've been feeling rubbish, says Mikel Landa
- Roglic puts downhill crash behind him for seventh Vuelta a España stage victory
- Bernal not confident he can find top form at Vuelta a España
- Jasper Philipsen abandons Vuelta a España due to illness
Stage 10
- Storer's dream Vuelta a España continues with a second stage win
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 10 highlights - Video
- Haig 'getting more and more confident' after strong Vuelta a España ride
- Primoz Roglic tears up script with surging late-race attack at Vuelta a España
- Primoz Roglic crashes while on the attack at Vuelta a España
- Vuelta a España: Bernal's GC position increasingly fragile after stage 10
Stage 9
- Roglic turns up the heat on rivals on stage 9 of Vuelta a España
- Vuelta a España: Which GC riders lost time on stage 9 summit finish
- Bernal struggles with rivals' pace on Vuelta a España stage to Alto de Velefique
- Haig steps up to plate as Landa's Vuelta a España challenge fades at Alto de Velefique
- Mas matches Roglic to climb back into second on Vuelta a España on stage 9
- Kuss helps smother Ineos offensive on Vuelta a España stage to Alto de Velefique
- Movistar emphasise that teamwork is critical if Roglic is to be beaten at Vuelta a España
- Egan Bernal: At this point it's difficult to think about winning the Vuelta a España
- Primoz Roglic 'not frightened' by Movistar and Ineos numbers at Vuelta a España
- Fabio Aru: I don't see retirement as a liberation, it's just the end of a chapter
- Preview: Vuelta a España already Roglic's to lose as race enters second week
Stage 8
- Mäder combines charity fundraising effort and teamwork at Vuelta a España
- EF Education-Nippo switch focus to stage wins in Vuelta a España
- Jack Haig: Bahrain Victorious still have a lot of faith in Mikel Landa at Vuelta a España
- Heat, dust and altitude at Vuelta a España hits the heights in Andalusia - Preview
Stage 7
- Cracks between Vuelta a España contenders broaden in GC battle at Alicante
Egan Bernal: It's good for Ineos to have cards to play at Vuelta a España - Primoz Roglic: You can have plans but today the Vuelta a España was about racing
- Movistar rue loss of Valverde but fight on at Vuelta a España
- Vuelta a España: Which GC riders lost time on stage 7 summit finish
- Alejandro Valverde crashes out of Vuelta a España
- Hugh Carthy abandons Vuelta a España during stage 7
Stage 6
- Vuelta a España peloton braced for first full mountain stage - Preview
- Vlasov warms to task at Vuelta a España with aggressive showing at Alto de Cullera
- EF Education celebrate Vuelta a España stage win but rue loss of GC options
- Retaking the red jersey a 'sweet worry' for Primoz Roglic at Vuelta a España
- Vuelta a España: Movistar move up in GC en masse at Cullera summit finish
- Vuelta a España: Which GC riders lost time on stage 6 uphill finish
Stage 5
- Kenny Elissonde: This isn’t the way I wanted to take the red jersey at the Vuelta a España
- Ciccone expects changes at Vuelta a España as summit finishes loom
- Hamilton sets goal of 'getting better' in 2021 Vuelta a España
- Rein Taaramäe: 'I was lucky' in mass crash at Vuelta a España
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 5 highlights - Video
- Late crash ends Romain Bardet’s general classification hopes at Vuelta a España
- Egan Bernal unscathed after narrowly missing major Vuelta a España crash
- Vuelta a Espana: Taaramäe loses race lead after late crash splits the peloton
Stage 4
- Fabio Jakobsen: Vuelta a España stage win is the end of my comeback
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 4 highlights - Video
- Sénéchal: Fabio Jakobsen always said he would come back stronger after his crash
- Piva: Motivation is the key word for Vuelta a España leader Taaramäe
- Carthy adamant Vuelta a España options intact despite early setbacks
- Vuelta a España: Bernal rejects sole leadership after Carapaz struggles on climb
- Rein Taaramäe crashes but retains Vuelta a España lead
Stage 3
- GC analysis: Roglic remains reference point despite losing Vuelta a España lead
- Taaramäe: I didn’t have many years left to try to lead a Grand Tour
- Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 3 highlights - Video
- Landa overcomes pre-stage jitters to move into Vuelta a España top 10
- Movistar place three riders in Vuelta a España top 10 on race’s first summit finish
- Vuelta a España: Adam Yates’ offensive thwarted by headwind at Picón Blanco
- Vuelta a España: Primoz Roglic content to loosen grip on red jersey at Picón Blanco
- Vuelta a España: Which GC riders lost time on stage 3 summit finish
Stage 2
- Adam Yates and Hugh Carthy lose time at Vuelta a España after stage 2 crash
- Vuelta a España: Jasper Philipsen sprints to stage 2 victory
- Philipsen puts Tour de France near-misses behind him at Vuelta a España
- Bardet: Picón Blanco will be the first big battle of this Vuelta a España
- Carthy eyes first Vuelta a España summit finish despite stage delay
- Vuelta a España leader Roglic anticipating major battle on Picon Blanco summit finish
- Vuelta a España hits high mountains with a vengeance at Picón Blanco - Preview
Stage 1
- Van Wilder hints at early exit from DSM after Vuelta a España spot is 'taken away'
- Vuelta a España: Primoz Roglic wins opening time trial in Burgos
- Tom Pidcock comes through 'horrible' Vuelta a España opener
- Vuelta a España: Which GC riders lost time on the stage 1 time trial
- Sepp Kuss draws confidence from fast start to Vuelta a España
- Fabio Jakobsen: I am again among the top ten sprinters in the world
Previews
- History beckons for Roglic and Bernal in 2021 Vuelta a España - Race Preview
- Vuelta a España 2021 - Start List
- 10 riders to watch at the 2021 Vuelta a España
- Vuelta a España: 5 sprinters to watch
- Vuelta a España 2021: 5 key stages
The route
After the shortened 2020 edition, which was only 18 stages because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vuelta a España returns to full strength for 2021 with plenty of mountains, searing heat, potential crosswinds and, new for this year, a return to the a lengthy individual time trial to close out the race.
The race is bookended by a 7km opening time trial in Burgos, concluding with a 31km time trial in Santiago de Compostela three weeks later. In the intervening 19 days, riders will take on a mammoth seven summit finishes with more mountain stages and hilltop finishes, as well a possible six sprint stages.
The steep slopes of Picón Blanco (7.6km at 9.3 per cent) on stage 3 will provide an early GC test following the sprinter's stage 2, though the following two days will give further chances to the fastmen.
Stage 6, to the Alto de la Montaña de Cullera, will provoke more time gaps on the 1.9km wall finish. The next day, the Balcón de Alicante (8.4km at 6.2 per cent) features several kilometres of double-digit gradients as the second summit finish of the race.
A sprint stage to La Manga del Mar Menor, before another tough mountain stage in south-east Spain sees the peloton take on the first-category Alto Collado Venta Luisa and the Alto de Velefique (13.2km at 6.4 per cent). A welcome rest day in Almería follows.
On stage 10, a hilly finish to Rincón de la Victoria could give GC men a chance to ambush late on, with a hilltop finish at Valdepeñas de Jaén – last visited in 2013 – following the next day.
Stage 12 is another hilly day to Cordoba before the sprinters get a pan-flat day on the next stage. Stage 14 sees a return to the mountains and another summit finish at the Pico Villuercas (14.5km at 6.2 per cent) while stage 15 to El Barraco brings another mountain test, though no summit finish ahead of rest day number two.
Stage 16 is another for the sprinters before a brutal visit to the Lagos de Covadonga (12.5km at 6.9 per cent) the following day and a debut for the terrifying Altu d’El Gamoniteiru (14.6km at 8.9 per cent) on stage 18. Two hilly stage follow, including an uphill finish Mos. Castro de Herville on stage 20 before the final hilly time trial to decide the fate of the red jersey.
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The contenders
Defending champion Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) is back to fight for a third Vuelta title in a row. However, he'll face stiff competition from Giro d'Italia winner Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and recent Vuelta a Burgos winner Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), among others, in the fight for the red jersey.
Roglič will have Jumbo-Visma teammates Sepp Kuss and Steven Kruijswijk beside him in the three-week battle while Bernal will be accompanied by 2020 Vuelta runner-up Richard Carapaz, Adam Yates, Tom Pidcock, and Pavel Sivakov.
Movistar look to have the next-strongest squad. The Spanish team will be led by the triumvirate of Miguel Angel López, Enric Mas and veteran Alejandro Valverde. Landa can rely on Damiano Caruso and Mark Padun at Bahrain Victorious.
Last year's podium finisher Hugh Carthy leads EF Education-Nippo, while Aleksandr Vlasov is back at the head of Astana-Premier Tech.
Elsewhere, watch out for Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo), Romain Bardet (Team DSM), Felix Großschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe), Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), and the retiring Fabio Aru (Qhubeka NextHash).
Vuelta a España most successful riders
- Delio Rodríguez has won the most Vuelta a España stages with 39 in the 1940s
- Alejandro Valverde is the most successful active rider with 13 stage wins and one overall victory (2009)
- Alex Zülle has the most days in the leader's jersey with 48
- Roberto Heras has the most overall wins with four, one of which he won back in court after being disqualified for doping
- Vuelta a España 2021 past winners
Vuelta a España 2021 teams
- AG2R Citroën Team
- Alpecin-Fenix*
- Astana-Premier Tech
- Bahrain Victorious
- Bora-Hansgrohe
- Burgos-BH*
- Caja Rural-Seguros RGA*
- Cofidis
- Deceuninck-QuickStep
- EF Education-Nippo
- Euskaltel - Euskadi
- Groupama - FDJ
- Ineos Grenadiers
- Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
- Israel Start-up Nation
- Lotto Soudal
- Movistar Team
- Team BikeExchange
- Team Jumbo-Visma
- Qhubeka NextHash
- Trek-Segafredo
- UAE-Team Emirates
* Wildcard
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