Dunbar finishes off the breakaway on Peñas Blancas

Eddie Dunbar won stage 19 of La Vuelta 2026 after completing the work of a 16-rider breakaway on the summit finish at Peñas Blancas. The Pinarello-Q36.5 rider covered the 210 kilometres from Vélez-Málaga in 5:00:54, beating Santiago Buitrago by 14 seconds and teammate Thomas Gloag by 23. Urko Berrade finished fourth at 44 seconds and Marcel Camprubí fifth at 1:44.

The escape reached the final 18.8-kilometre climb with almost seven minutes over the peloton. Buitrago reduced the front group to Dunbar, Gloag and Berrade before attacking again inside the final two kilometres. Dunbar absorbed the acceleration, caught the Colombian with around 400 metres remaining and immediately changed pace to ride alone to the line.

It is Dunbar's third stage victory at La Vuelta, following his two successes in 2024. The general-classification contenders finished 5:11 behind the winner, leaving the Irishman and the breakaway to take the honours before the race's final mountain showdown at Collado del Alguacil.