Belgium’s Tim Wellens secured victory in the 2026 Tour of Britain, finishing just 40 seconds ahead of his compatriot Lewis Askey in the final stage. The race, which took place over 156.1 kilometers through Earlston, saw Wellens extend his lead from 21 seconds to 42 seconds, finishing eighth in the stage but securing the overall general classification. German rider Nils Politt won the final stage, finishing 21 seconds ahead of Wellens. Askey, who had been in second place overall, narrowly held on to second place, with Belgium’s Jasper Stuyven in third, 21 seconds behind Askey. Great Britain’s riders also performed well in the final stage, with Elliot Rowe finishing sixth, while compatriots Mark Donovan and Ben Wiggins came in ninth and tenth, respectively. Before the stage began, the riders honored former British cyclist Ben Swift, who is set to retire after the 2026 season. Politt made a decisive move with less than nine kilometers remaining, overtaking Wiggins and securing his first stage win since 2022. There was some confusion in reports about the final standings, with one stating that Politt took the final bouquet of the week, while another noted that Wellens narrowly beat Askey by a few seconds to claim the overall title. In a separate race, the Vuelta a España saw its final stage shortened due to extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 40°C. The stage, originally 189.7 kilometers, was reduced to 110.2 kilometers as organizers activated the extreme weather protocol. Wout van Aert of Belgium triumphed in the shortened stage, outpacing a five-rider breakaway and winning a sprint finish in Cordoba. Van Aert had previously won stage 13 of the race, adding to his impressive performance. Enric Mas remained in the lead of the overall standings, wearing the red jersey, while Felix Gall is 2 minutes and 6 seconds behind. Primoz Roglic is further back, 2 minutes and 10 seconds behind Mas. The race will take a rest day on Monday before continuing with the remaining stages.