After a week marked by near-misses and growing frustration, the race ignited on the final ascent. The climb was ridden at over 30 km/h average — fast, relentless, and far from the kind of terrain that naturally rewards long-range solo moves. It demanded clarity. It demanded conviction .

At the steepest and most selective point, Pidcock made his move. No hesitation. No second-guessing. A sharp acceleration, immediate separation. The elastic snapped — and this time, it did not come back.

Reflecting on the decisive moment, Tom Pidcock said:

“Yeah, I knew today was gonna be tricky because the climb was so fast. You know, it was over 30k an hour average on this climb. I could go solo over the top. Once at the hardest point, I said myself, I'm just going to attack. I think Christen followed me for a little bit and then I managed to gap him and, yeah, held on to the finish. I just had to keep going to finish.”

Over the summit, the commitment was absolute. The descent was technical and unforgiving — but the belief in the move never wavered. Every corner carried speed and intent. Every pedal stroke reinforced the gap. Behind, hesitation proved decisive. Ahead, the victory became inevitable .

This was not opportunistic racing. It was constructed — the product of a winter defined by bold decisions and uncompromising preparation. The altitude block in Chile. The early-season setbacks. The lost GC opportunity earlier in the week. Everything distilled into one explosive, perfectly timed attack .

After the finish, Pidcock added:

“Yeah, it feels great. I mean, yesterday I was getting really frustrated that, you know, we trained so hard this winter. We made a big commitment. We went to Chile. We put in so much work and yeah, we missed opportunities here also, you know, we made a mistake of, you know, judging the parkour here. It wasn't perfect. And we let the GC go one day and yeah, I was getting frustrated, you know, that we wasted opportunities. But yeah, today we took it. The team was great. I finished it off. So then, yeah, you know, it makes it all worthwhile.”

With this victory, Pidcock secured third place overall in the final general classification of the 2026 edition of the Vuelta a Andalucía .

Stage 5 was won with clarity and conviction.
The first victory of 2026 is secured.
The direction of the season is set.