Vuelta winners: Enric Mas elevates Spanish cycling to the top twelve years later
Spanish cycling is gaining muscle again. After a long journey through the desert, in which the Spanish cyclists had a terrible time aspiring to victory in a three-week grand tour, this year Enric Mas has put an end to the doubts in one fell swoop and has embraced a great victory in the 81st edition of La Vuelta.
With his triumph, the Balearic Islands of Artà ends a twelve-year drought, since Alberto Contador achieved his last Vuelta (2014), succeeding the Dane in the list of winners Jonas Vingegaard.
Since the triumph of ‘The Gunslinger’ There were several Spanish cyclists who stepped on the podium, but none of them managed to win. In 2015 ‘Purito’ Rodríguez was 2nd, in 2018 Enric Mas was 2nd, same position he occupied Alejandro Valverde the following year, with Enric Mas being 2nd in 2021 and in 2022, with Juan Ayuso 3rd and repeating podium (3rd) in 2024.
No one could deny the insistence of Enric Mas in La Vuelta, until today he certified his victory, which he crowned with a stage victory in the Alto de Aitana. This victory widens Spain’s distance at the top of the list of winners by country in La Vuelta with 33 victories, compared to the nine of France and eight o’clock Belgiumand prevents the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (2nd this year) break the tie with Roberto Heras and become the rider with the most wins in La Vuelta with five.
PALMARES
2026: 1. Enric Mas (ESP), 2. Primoz Roglic (Esl), 3.Felix Gall (Austria)
2025: 1. Jonas Vingegaard (Din), 2.Joao Almeida (Por), 3. Thomas Piddock (Gbr)
2024: 1. Primoz Roglic (Esl), 2.Ben O’Connor (Aus), 3. Enric Mas (Esp)
2023: 1.Sepp Kuss (USA), 2. Jonas Vingegaad (Din), 3.Primoz Roglñic (Esl)
2022: 1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel), 2.Enric Mas (Esp), 3.Jac Haig (Aus)
2021: 1. Primoz Roglic (Esl), 2. Enric Mas (ESP), 3. Jack Haig (Aus)
2020: 1. Primoz Roglic (Esl), 2. Ricahrd Carapaz (ECU), 3. Hugh Carthy (Gbr)
2019: 1. Primoz Roglic (Esl), 2. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), 3. Tadej Pogacar (Esl)
2018: 1. Simon Yates (GBR), 2. Enric Mas (ESP), 3. Miguel Angel López Moreno (COL)
2017: 1. Chris Froome (GBR), 2. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), 3. Ilnur Zakarin (RUS)
2016: 1. Nairo Quintana (COL), 2. Chris Froome (GBR), 3. Esteban Chaves (COL)
2015: 1. Fabio Aru (ITA), 2.Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP), 3.Rafal Majka (POL)
2014: 1. Alberto Contador (ESP), 2. Chris Froome (ING), 3.Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
2013: 1. Chris Horner (USA), 2. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), 3. Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
2012: 1. Alberto Contador (ESP), 2. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), 3. Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP)
2011: 1. Chris Froome (GBR), 2. Bradley Wiggins (GBR), 3. Bauke Mollema (HOL)
2010: 1. Vicenzo Nibali (ITA), 2. Ezequiel Mosquera (ESP), 3. Peter Velits (ESL)
2009: 1. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), 2. Samuel Sánchez (ESP), 3. Cadel Evans (AUS)
2008: 1. Alberto Contador (ESP), 2. Levi Leipheimer (USA), 3. Carlos Sastre (ESP)
2007: 1. Denis Menchov (RUS), 2. Carlos Sastre (ESP), 3. Samuel Sánchez (ESP)
2006: 1. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ), 2. Alejandro Valverde (ESP), 3. Andrey Kashechkin (KAZ)
2005: 1. Denis Menchov (RUS), 2. Carlos Sastre (ESP), 3. Francisco Mancebo (ESP)
2004: 1. Roberto Heras (ESP),. 2. Santiago Pérez (ESP), 3. Francisco Mancebo (ESP)
2003: 1. Roberto Heras (ESP), 2. Isidro Nozal (ESP), 3. Alejandro Valverde (ESP)
2002: 1. Aitor González (ESP), 2. Roberto Heras (ESP), 3. Joseba Beloki (ESP)
2001: 1. Ángel Casero (ESP), 2. Óscar Sevilla (ESP), 3. Levi Leipheimer (USA)
2000: 1. Roberto Heras (ESP), 2. Ángel Casero (ESP), 3. Pavel Tonkov (RUS)
1999: 1. Jan Ullrich (ALE), 2. Igor González de Galdeano (ESP), 3. Roberto Heras (ESP)
1998: 1. Abraham Olano (ESP), 2. Fernando Escartín (ESP), 3. José María Jiménez (ESP)
1997: 1. Alex Zülle (SUI), 2. Fernando Escartín (ESP), 3. Laurent Dufaux (FRA)
1996: 1. Alex Zülle (SUI), 2. Laurent Dufaux (FRA), 3. Tony Rominger (SUI)
1995: 1. Laurent Jalabert (FRA), 2. Abraham Olano (ESP), 3. Johan Bruyneel (BEL)
1994: 1. Tony Rominger (SUI), 2. Mikel Zarrabeitia (ESP), 3. Pedro Delgado (ESP)
1993: 1. Tony Rominger (SUI), 2. Alex Zülle (SUI), 3. Laudelino Cubillo (ESP)
1992: 1. Tony Rominger (SUI), 2. Jesús Montoya (ESP), 3. Pedro Delgado (ESP)
1991: 1. Melchor Mauri (ESP), 2. Miguel Induráin (ESP), 3. Marino Lejarreta (ESP)
1990: 1. Marco Giovannetti (ITA), 2. Pedro Delgado (ESP), 3. Anselmo Fuerte (ESP)
1989: 1. Pedro Delgado (ESP), 2. Fabio Parra (COL), 3. Oscar Vargas (COL)
1988: 1. Sean Kelly (IRL), 2. Raimund Dietzen (GER), 3. Anselmo Fuerte (ESP)
1987: 1. Luis Herrera (COL), 2. Raimund Dietzen (ALE), 3. Laurent Fignon (FRA)
1986: 1. Alvaro Pino (ESP), 2. Robert Millar (ESC), 3. Sean Kelly (IRL)
1985: 1. Pedro Delgado (ESP), 2. Robert Millar (ESC), 3. Pacho Rodríguez (COL)
1984: 1. Eric Caritoux (FRA), 2. Alberto Fernández (ESP), 3. Raimund Dietzen (ALE)
1983: 1. Bernard Hinault (FRA), 2. Marino Lejarreta (ESP), 3. Alberto Fernández (ESP)
1982: 1. Marino Lejarreta (ESP), 2. Michel Pollentier (BEL), 3. Sven-Ake Nilsson (SUE)
1981: 1. Giovanni Battaglin (ITA), 2. Pedro Muñoz (ESP), 3. Vicente Belda (ESP)
1980: 1. Faustino Rupérez (ESP), 2. Pedro Torres (ESP), 3. Claude Criquelion (BEL)
1979: 1. Joop Zoetemelk (HOL), 2. Francisco Galdós (ESP), 3. Michel Pollentier (BEL)
1978: 1. Bernard Hinault (FRA), 2. José Pesarrodona (ESP), 3. Jean René Bernaudeau (FRA)
1977: 1. Freddy Maertens (BEL), 2. Miguel María Lasa (ESP), 3. Peter Thaler (ALE)
1976: 1. José Pesarrodona (ESP), 2. Luis Ocaña (ESP), 3. José Nazabal (ESP)
1975: 1. Agustín Tamames (ESP), 2. Domingo Perurena (ESP), 3. Miguel María Lasa (ESP)
1974: 1. José Manuel Fuente (ESP), 2. Joaquim Agostinho (POR), 3. Bernand Thevenet (FRA)
1973: 1. Eddy Merckx (BEL), 2. Luis Ocaña (ESP), 3. Bernand Thevenet (FRA)
1972: 1. José Manuel Fuente (ESP), 2. Miguel María Lasa (ESP), 3. Agustín Tamames (ESP)
1971: 1. Ferdinand Bracke (BEL), 2. Wilfred David (BEL), 3. Luis Ocaña (ESP)
1970: 1. Luis Ocaña (ESP), 2. Agustín Tamames (ESP), 3. Herman Van Springel (BEL)
1969: 1. Roger Pingeon (FRA), 2. Luis Ocaña (ESP), 3. Marinus Wagtmans (HOL)
1968: 1. Felice Gimondi (ITA), 2. José Pérez Francés (ESP), 3. Eusebio Vélez (ESP)
1967: 1. Jan Janssen (HOL), 2. Jena Pierra Ducasse (FRA), 3. Aurelio González (ESP)
1966: 1. Francisco Gabica (ESP), 2. Eusebio Vélez (ESP), 3. Carlos Echeverría (ESP)
1965: 1. Rolf Wolfshoul (GER), 2. Raymond Poulidor (FRA), 3. Rik Van Looy (BEL)
1964: 1. Raymond Poulidor (FRA), 2. Luis Otaño (ESP), 3. José Pérez Francés (ESP)
1963: 1. Jacques Anquetil (FRA), 2. Martín Colmenarejo (ESP), 3. Miguel Pacheco (ESP)
1962: 1. Rudi Altig (ALE), 2. José Pérez Francés (ESP), 3. Samus Elliot (IRL)
1961: 1. Angelino Soler (ESP), 2. François Mahe (FRA), 3. José Pérez Francés (ESP)
1960: 1. Franz De Mulder (BEL), 2. Armand De Smet (BEL), 3. Miguel Pacheco (ESP)
1959: 1. Antonio Suárez (ESP), 2. José Segu (ESP), 3. Rik Van Looy (BEL)
1958: 1. Jean Stablinsky (FRA), 2. Lino Fornara (ITA), 3. Fernando Manzaneque (ESP)
1957: 1. Jesús Loroño (ESP), 2. Federico M. Bahamontes (ESP), 3. Bernardo Ruiz (ESP)
1956: 1. Angelo Conterno (ITA), 2. Jesús Loroño (ESP), 3. Raymond Impanis (BEL)
1955: 1. Jean Dotto (FRA),. 2. Antonio Jiménez (ESP), 3. Raphael Geminiani (FRA)
1950: 1. Emilio Rodríguez (ESP), 2. Manuel Rodríguez (ESP), 3. José Serra (ESP)
1948: 1. Bernardo Ruiz (ESP), 2. Emilio Rodríguez (ESP), 3. Bernardo Capo (ESP)
1947: 1. Edouard Van Dyck (BEL), 2. Manuel Costa (ESP), 3. Delio Rodríguez (ESP)
1946: 1. Edouard Van Dyck (BEL), 2. Julián Berrendero (ESP), 3. Jan Lambrichts (HOL)
[1945:1. Delio Rodríguez (ESP), 2. Julián Berrendero (ESP), 3. Juan Gimeno (ESP)
1942: 1. Julián Berrendero (ESP), 2. Diego Chafer (ESP), 3. Antonio A. Sancho (ESP)
1941: 1. Julián Berrendero (ESP), 2. Fermín Trueba (ESP), 3. José Jabardo (ESP)
1936: 1. Gustave Deloor (BEL), 2. Alphonse Deloor (BEL), 3. Antonio Berlota (ITA)
1935: 1. Gustave Deloor (BEL), 2. Mariano Cañardo (ESP), 3. Antoon Digneff (BEL)
