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Stage-by-stage coverage of Eritrean rider Henok Mulubrhan with XDS Astana Team across La Vuelta's 2026 route from Monaco through France and Andorra to Granada, Spain.
Latest confirmed position
Henok climbs to 46th overall after Calar Alto breakawayLive desk
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan moved into the top 50 of the 2026 Vuelta a España on Thursday after joining the breakaway on a demanding mountain stage to Calar Alto.
The Eritrean finished Stage 12 in 39th place, completing the 166.6-kilometre route from Vera in 4:49:40, 19 minutes and 47 seconds behind winner Jakob Omrzel. He climbed 13 positions to 46th overall, although his deficit to race leader Enric Mas widened to 1:24:00.
A day after recording his best finish of the race with 13th in the Lorca sprint, Mulubrhan took his racing to the front on very different terrain. He was part of the large breakaway on a route featuring five categorised climbs and a summit finish at 2,153 metres. Omrzel ultimately rode clear to claim the stage alone.
Mulubrhan remains on 11 points, placing him 61st in the points classification. His XDS Astana teammates Cristian Rodríguez and Harold Tejada finished 17th and 21st respectively on the stage.
Friday’s Stage 13 covers 192.8 kilometres from Almuñécar to Loja. An early category-one climb and two further categorised ascents could create another opening for attackers. With the final classified summit around 37 kilometres from the finish, the route offers a different prospect from Calar Alto: a chance for a breakaway to survive or a reduced group to contest the line.

Source: La Vuelta official results
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan recorded his best result of the 2026 Vuelta a España on Wednesday, finishing 13th in the mass sprint that decided Stage 11 in Lorca.
The Eritrean crossed the line in 3:17:18, the same time as stage winner Matthew Brennan, after 153.8 kilometres from Cartagena. The result improves on Mulubrhan’s 14th place on Stage 8 and gives him a fourth top-15 finish at this year’s race. It is also his second such result in two days, following 15th place on Stage 10.
Mulubrhan remains 59th in the general classification, 1:07:09 behind race leader Enric Mas. His four points from the stage lifted him to 57th in the points classification with 11 points.
XDS Astana placed two riders inside the top 15, with Alessandro Romele taking eighth and Mulubrhan 13th as the team again featured prominently in a fast finish.
Thursday’s Stage 12 brings a sharp change of terrain over 166.6 kilometres from Vera to Calar Alto. The mountain route includes the category-one Alto de Velefique before a category-one summit finish at 2,153 metres, presenting Mulubrhan and the peloton with one of the race’s sternest climbing tests so far.

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By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan secured his third top-15 finish of the 2026 Vuelta a España on Tuesday, placing 15th on Stage 10 after a demanding 184.7-kilometre route from Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra.
The Eritrean crossed the line in the lead group in 4:07:41, recording the same time as stage winner Bastien Tronchon. The result follows his 15th place on Stage 5 and 14th on Stage 8, extending a consistent run in the race’s selective fast finishes.
Mulubrhan climbed six places to 59th in the general classification, with his deficit to race leader Enric Mas unchanged at 1:07:09. He is 62nd in the points classification with seven points.
XDS Astana placed three riders inside the stage’s top 15. Alessandro Romele finished fifth, while Yevgeniy Fedorov took 12th after a late attack that was caught within sight of the line. Mulubrhan completed the team’s strong finish in 15th.
Stage 11 takes the peloton 153.8 kilometres from Cartagena to Lorca on Wednesday. The flatter course is expected to favour the sprint teams and could offer Mulubrhan another opportunity if he remains with the front group.

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By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan reached the first rest day of the 2026 Vuelta a España in 65th place overall after completing Sunday’s demanding mountain stage to Alto de Aitana.
The Eritrean finished Stage 9 in 60th place, recording 5:30:36 and crossing 19:56 behind stage winner and race leader Enric Mas. His overall deficit stands at 1:07:09, while he is 60th in the points classification with five points.
Mulubrhan has steadily recovered ground since placing 155th in the opening time trial in Monaco. His strongest result of the first nine stages remains 14th on Stage 8, evidence of the speed he can bring when the terrain produces a reduced finish. XDS Astana also strengthened its race on Alto de Aitana through Cristián Rodríguez’s fifth place and Harold Tejada’s eighth.
Racing resumes Tuesday with a 184.7-kilometre hilly stage from Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra. Three third-category climbs, including the Puerto de Socovos before the run to the finish, could encourage another breakaway or a selective sprint.

Source: La Vuelta official results
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan delivered his strongest performance of the 2026 Vuelta a España on Saturday, finishing 14th in the crash-hit eighth stage from Puçol to Xeraco.
The Eritrean crossed with the leading group in the same 3:47:06 time as winner Bryan Coquard, improving on his previous best of 15th in Stage 5. His XDS Astana teammate Alessandro Romele placed sixth, giving the team two riders inside the top 14.
The result lifted Mulubrhan to 71st overall, 46:36 behind new race leader Enric Mas, and to 57th in the points classification with five points.
The race was reshaped when Tadej Pogačar crashed and withdrew, handing the red jersey to Mas. Mulubrhan now turns to Sunday's demanding 187.4-kilometre mountain stage to Alto de Aitana.

Source: La Vuelta official results
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan completed Stage 7's summit finish at Aramón Valdelinares in 71st place, 13:51 behind winner Andreas Leknessund. The Eritrean rider moved up two positions to 74th overall and now trails race leader Tadej Pogačar by 50:53. Henok is 62nd in the points classification with two points and has no mountains points. XDS Astana's first riders home were Harold Tejada in 27th and Cristián Rodríguez in 29th. Stage 8 is a 171 km flat run from Puçol to Xeraco, offering a possible bunch-finish opportunity after two demanding climbing days.

Source: La Vuelta official results
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan completed the demanding Stage 6 from Alcossebre to Castelló in 87th place, 16:14 behind winner Tadej Pogačar. The Eritrean rider moved up two positions to 76th overall and now trails the race leader by 41:25. XDS Astana had two riders in the top eight, with Harold Tejada fifth at 46 seconds and Cristián Rodríguez eighth at 1:38. Stage 7 brings another severe mountain test, ending with the 9.8 km category-one climb to Aramón Valdelinares.

Source: La Vuelta official results
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan delivered his best result of the 2026 Vuelta a España so far, finishing 16th in the front group on Stage 5 from Falset to Roquetes. The Eritrean crossed the line in the same time as winner Matthew Brennan and moved from 94th to 78th overall, 24:57 behind race leader Tadej Pogačar. XDS Astana also placed Alessandro Romele fourth, giving the team two riders inside the top 16. Stage 6 brings a much harder medium-mountain test, including the category-one Puerto El Bartolo and a gravel sector before the descent to Castelló.

Source: La Vuelta official results
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan completed the 104.8 km mountain Stage 4 around Andorra la Vella in 113th place, 24:57 behind winner Tadej Pogačar. The Eritrean rider remains 94th overall, 24:57 behind the race leader.
Source: La Vuelta official results
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Stage 3 from Gruissan-Aude to Font-Romeu was cancelled with about 15 kilometres remaining after severe hail made the mountain route unsafe. No stage winner or times were recorded, so Henok Mulubrhan remains 94th overall, 1:56 behind race leader Tadej Pogačar.
Source: Cadena SER
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan finished Stage 2 from Monaco to Manosque in 91st place, 47 seconds behind winner James Brennan. He is 94th overall, 1:56 behind race leader Tadej Pogačar.
Source: La Vuelta official results
By Mesob Journal Staff · Published
Henok Mulubrhan completed the 9.4 km Stage 1 individual time trial in Monaco in 12:02, placing 155th, 1:05 behind winner Tadej Pogačar.
Source: La Vuelta official results
Andorra la Vella, Andorra
104.8 km mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Falset to Roquetes, Spain
173.4 km hilly stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Alcossebre to Castelló, Spain
177.4 km medium-mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Vall d'Alba to Aramón Valdelinares, Spain
149.8 km mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Puçol to Xeraco, Spain
171 km flat stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
La Vila Joiosa to Alto de Aitana, Spain
187.4 km mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra, Spain
184.7 km hilly stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Cartagena to Lorca, Spain
151.3 km flat stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Vera to Calar Alto, Spain
166.6 km mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Almuñécar to Loja, Spain
192.8 km medium-mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Jaén to Sierra de La Pandera, Spain
154.5 km mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Palma del Río to Córdoba, Spain
189.7 km medium-mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Cortegana to La Rábida, Spain
181.1 km hilly stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Dos Hermanas to Sevilla, Spain
185 km flat stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
El Puerto de Santa María to Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
32 km individual time trial. The listed time is the first rider's start; Henok's start time will be confirmed later.
Vélez-Málaga to Peñas Blancas, Spain
210 km hilly stage with an uphill finish. Expected arrival time is provisional.
La Calahorra to Collado del Alguacil, Spain
186.8 km mountain stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.
Granada, Spain
112 km final stage. Expected arrival time is provisional.