Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar claimed the first red jersey of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana after winning the opening time trial in Monaco by nine hundredths of a second over Britain's Ethan Hayter.
The victory gave Pogacar his first career stage win in August and his first overall lead in the Spanish race, securing the win on the streets where he resides.
Hayter had been the first rider to finish the course in under 11 minutes and sat in the winner's chair until Pogacar surpassed his time. The British cyclist expressed frustration with the seat after losing the lead by a fraction of a second.
Hayter had previously beaten compatriot Josh Tarling by nearly four seconds. Tarling, his main rival in the British time trial championship, competed following the death of his 19-year-old brother Finlay, who was struck and killed by a vehicle at the Vuelta a Portugal the previous week. The elder brother had hoped to honor Finlay by taking the leader's jersey.
The margin between Pogacar and Hayter was less than a blink of an eye, which lasts between 10 and 40 hundredths of a second. Pogacar accelerated through Monaco, where monthly rents rarely fall below 4,000 euros and the streets form the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
Narrow margins in Monaco
Speaking after the stage, Pogacar said he knew every corner of the course and felt no need to take risks. He explained that he followed no complex strategy for the maximum effort, which lasted roughly ten minutes.
The Vuelta a Espana is the final Grand Tour title missing from Pogacar's career record, having already secured overall victories at the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia.
None of Pogacar's chief contenders for the overall classification placed in the top ten of the time trial. Portuguese rider Joao Almeida, Pogacar's teammate at UAE Team Emirates who serves as a backup team leader, finished 18th at 18 seconds back, while Slovenian competitor Primoz Roglic finished 22 seconds behind.
The opening stage favored time trial specialists, with a strong British contingent dominating much of the leaderboard. Behind Hayter and Tarling, fellow British rider Thornley posted the next fastest time as all three took turns in the winner's chair before Pogacar claimed top spot.
Rivalry and reactions
Spain's top performer was Ivan Romeo of Movistar Team, who recorded the 19th fastest time. Romeo, who won the Under-23 world time trial championship in 2024, apologized to supporters after the race, noting that he knew fans were eager to see a strong performance.
Pogacar highlighted several personal milestones following the win, noting it was his first victory in an opening stage of a Grand Tour, his first win in August, and his narrowest winning margin. He joked that he was a lucky man and suggested he should make a stop at the Monaco casino.
Pogacar will wear the red jersey when the peloton begins the first road stage of the race.
