Tronchon sprints to Vuelta stage 10 win, Mas keeps red jersey

ELCHE DE LA SIERRA, Spain – French cyclist Bastien Tronchon secured a surprising Vuelta a Espana stage 10 win in a dramatic bunch sprint on Tuesday. Tronchon, riding for Groupama, edged out a close-packed finish, followed by Magnus Cort Nielsen and Thibaut Nys, who narrowly missed out on the podium position. Spanish leader Enric Mas kept the red jersey, staying ahead of Primoz Roglic and Felix Gall in the general classification.

Five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar was the favorite to win the race before crashing on Saturday, suffering a collarbone fracture and having to withdraw from the competition. The 184.7-kilometer route from Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra saw seven riders establish a lead, but Visma-Lease a Bike and Cofidis managed to keep them within striking distance.

With just 10 kilometers remaining, only Michael Gogl and Fredrik Dversnes remained ahead of the bunch, but their narrow advantage was quickly closed. Later, Yevgeniy Fedorov and Xabier Azparren launched a final attack, but Tronchon executed a brilliant move to secure the stage victory. The next stage, 11, will be largely flat, stretching 153.8 kilometers from Cartagena to Lorca, with a category three climb up Morron de Totana providing a final challenge for the sprinters.