Published on : 09/12/2026
For the final big mountain stage of this Vuelta, Team Cofidis showed an attacking mindset. Bryan Coquard and Louis Rouland made it into the day’s breakaway on a particularly demanding stage, featuring nearly 5,000 metres of elevation gain and a brutal finish at Collado del Alguacil.
The race got off to a fast start, with echelons forming in the opening kilometres. Bryan Coquard and Louis Rouland managed to join a 14-rider breakaway, while Sylvain Moniquet was part of a chasing group.
The mountains then began to make the difference. Bryan Coquard lost contact on the first ascent of Puerto de El Purche, while Louis Rouland stayed with the leaders for longer before eventually being dropped later in the stage. Behind, Sylvain Moniquet remained with the group of favourites for part of the stage, while the Cofidis riders then tried to support Emanuel Buchmann. In the finale, the favourites battled for victory on the particularly demanding slopes of Collado del Alguacil.
Reaction:
Gorka Gerrikagoitia, Sports Director :
“It was a very, very difficult stage, with nearly 5,000 metres of elevation gain and a lot of heat. We wanted to anticipate the race and be part of the breakaway in the first part of the stage. That’s what we managed to do with Bryan Coquard and Louis Rouland. Then, the difficulty of the stage made the selection. Bryan was dropped on the first climb, then Louis on the second. After that, we tried to support Emanuel Buchmann. We didn’t get a result in the end, but I’m still happy with the team’s attitude today.”