As Neves welcomed with enthusiasm the start of the fifth and final stage of O Gran Camiño ’26. Heat, large crowds and a peloton ready to sign off an edition that still held the wonderful landscapes of the border between Galicia and Portugal for the grand finale. From the viewpoint of Monte Tegra, home of the first settlers of this land, cycling experienced a day to remember.
The peloton began the day with numerous skirmishes, without any clear breakaway being established. Gorka Sorrarain (Caja Rural Seguros RGA), Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos Burpellet BH) and Diego Uriarte (Kern Pharma) managed to become the first protagonists of the day as survivors of a larger break that gradually lost members. The trio survived for much of the stage within sight of the main group, with a one-minute advantage over a peloton led by Movistar Team and, specifically, by debutant Tomás Pombo.
Earlier, at the Ultreia Sprint in A Guarda, Miguel Salgueiro (Team Tavira Crédito Agrícola) led the breakaway, with Santiago Mesa (Anicolor/Campicarn) and Diego Uriarte (Kern Pharma) following. Before reaching Monte Tegra, riders faced the first test of the day, the second-category climb of Valga, where Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos Burpellet BH) crested first, followed by Diego Uriarte and Gorka Sorrarain.
On the second pass through Valga, hostilities broke out. George Bennett (NSN Cycling Team) attacked, taking Jan Castellón (Caja Rural Seguros RGA) with him, with a 10” gap between them and just over 20” to the group of favorites. The breakaway riders stretched their chances until the lower slopes of Monte Tegra, where the main group eventually caught them. On the final climb, each team played its cards. Movistar Team did so from the foot of the climb, putting everything on Iván Romeo. Visma Lease a Bike raised the pace, thinking of an attack from Nordhagen. And the yellow jersey, :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}, set an uncomfortable pace to defend his lead, forcing his rivals into desperate attacks. No attacks came, and the natural selection left Adam Yates, Jorgen Nordhagen, :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} and Iván Romeo to fight for the win. The four riders charged over the stones of the Via Crucis, igniting the crowd lining the roadside. It was a tight finish, with a decisive final corner where Alessandro Pinarello (NSN Cycling Team) emerged as the winner, with Jorgen Nordhagen (Visma Lease a Bike) and Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates XRG) completing the podium. Iván Romeo finished fourth at 6 seconds, with Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel Euskadi) and Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural Seguros RGA) at 16.
On the final podium, Adam Yates was the winner of O Gran Camiño, with Jorgen Nordhagen (Visma Lease a Bike) at 32” and Alessandro Pinarello (NSN Cycling Team) in third place.
Adam Yates
“It was a hard stage, a tough battle. It depends on the calendar, but for me it’s a perfect race to prepare for the Giro. It’s always good to know your condition, which is why this race fits perfectly in the calendar. I’ve been here a couple of times, it’s a beautiful place with great roads and wonderful people. If the calendar allows, I’d like to come back next year.”
Alessandro Pinarello
“It’s important for me and for the team. We’re happy, even if we didn’t win the general classification, we won a stage. We’re pleased with the result. It’s a great race, with a lot of people on the roads and good weather.”
Ezequiel Mosquera
“Having a change of leader every day and arriving with this level of tension and such an iconic, idyllic setting is the dream script for any organizer. Everyone had their moment, even a leader from a smaller team. There was battle until the final kilometer. That depends on the riders, no matter how you design the stages. They put on a show as if it were the Tour de France.”
“We must not lose perspective. The focus is on making a great event, doing it well, and continuing to build the story around the race. The category will come with time.”
