Felix Gall concluded his Vuelta a España adventure with a third-place finish that, while prestigious, left a bitter taste. The Austrian cyclist from Decathlon, who had aimed to overtake Slovenian legend Primoz Roglic in the general classification, saw his hopes fade during the twentieth stage with a finish at Collado del Alguacil: he attacked but Roglic held on. In the general classification, Gall finished third with a deficit of 2'44" from Enric Mas and 29" from Roglic in second place. However, there's a small record: he's the only rider to have finished on the podium in 2026 in two Grand Tours.

The day had presented itself uphill from the start for Gall's team. The loss of Matthew Riccitello, who crashed in the early stages of the stage, significantly complicated their strategies. Gall commented as follows: "It was a slap in the face, a wake-up call. We had to adapt quickly to the situation, and the absence of Riccitello was felt". With only five riders remaining, the team had to revise their plans. Movistar, taking advantage of the situation, slowed the pace. Gall, initially skeptical about the possibility of targeting a stage win, remained focused: "We got on their wheel and observed". Despite the difficulties, Gall showed remarkable determination. On the final climb he attacked, dropping Roglic by 55" but it wasn't enough to overtake him in the standings: "I just wanted to finish on a high note. In the end, I'm satisfied with my performance".

The podium at the Vuelta, following his second place at the Giro d'Italia, represents an important milestone for Gall. "The big goal for this year was to fight for a podium in the Grand Tours. I managed to do it at the Giro, and now here. It's been a super good season so far", he stated enthusiastically.

Felix Gall, at 28 years old, has demonstrated he has the makings of a champion, but he also knows that the journey is only just beginning. "We still have to finish today's stage". In any case, after these results he has the awareness that the road to success is long and winding, but full of opportunities to seize.