The 2026 Vuelta a Espaa hits its crunch time with the individual time trial on Thursday 10 September, which could decide the direction of the race overall.Stage 18's 32.1km time trial comes with just three further stages left, so it is last chance saloon for anyone aiming to battle for the overall title, or to impress on general classification. It is also the last chance for time trial specialists to win a stage, the first since the opening day in Monaco.With the victor on stage one absent Tadej Pogaar, remember the stage is open for someone else to win, whether that be a TT star like Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) or Stefan Kng (Tudor Pro Cycling), or a GC rider like Primo Rogli (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).With just over 150m of climbing in today's 32.1km effort, it is a stage for power, not for the climbers. The timing points come at 11.5km and 22km. The first rider will be the lanterne rouge, or last man on general classification, Mathias Norsgaard (Lidl-Trek) at 2:07pm CEST (1:07pm BST/8:07am EDT), with riders the heading out at minute intervals until Ral Garca Pierna (Movistar) at 4:15pm CEST, at which time there will be two-minute gaps all the way to Enric Mas (Movistar) at 4:55pm CEST.Favourites to look out for include Hayter, Kng, Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X Mobility), Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), Rogli and Joo Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).Vuelta a Espaa stage 18 ITT start timesStart timesStart orderRider Start time (CEST)1Mathias Norsgaard (Den) Lidl-Trek14:07:002Paul Double (GBr) Jayco AlUla14:08:003Louis Rouland (Fra) Cofidis14:09:004Domen Novak (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG14:10:005Ethan Hayter (GBr) Soudal Quick-Step14:11:006Asbjrn Hellemose (Den) Jayco AlUla14:12:007Jordi Meeus (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe14:13:008Marc Brustenga (Esp) Kern Pharma14:14:009Matev Govekar (Slo) Bahrain Victorious14:15:0010Steffen De Schuyteneer (Bel) Lotto-Intermarch14:17:0011Juan Guillermo Martinez (Col) Picnic PostNL14:18:0012Callum Thornley (GBr) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe14:19:0013Csar Macas (Mex) Burgos Burpellet BH14:20:0014Vito Braet (Bel) Lotto-Intermarch14:21:0015Rasmus Tiller (Nor) Uno-X Mobility14:22:0016Oscar Chamberlain (Aus) Decathlon CMA CGM14:23:0017Gianni Moscon (Ita) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe14:24:0018Alberto Dainese (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step14:25:0019Olivier Le Gac (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United14:26:0020Alessandro Covi (Ita) Jayco AlUla14:27:0021Jasha Stterlin (Ger) Jayco AlUla14:28:0022Alastair Mackellar (Aus) EF Education-EasyPost14:29:0023Orluis Aular (Ven) Movistar14:30:0024Fabio Van Den Bossche (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step14:31:0025Sinuh Fernndez (Esp) Burgos Burpellet BH14:32:0026Darren van Bekkum (Ned) XDS Astana14:33:0027Timo de Jong (Ned) Picnic PostNL14:34:0028Iigo Elosegui (Esp) Kern Pharma14:35:0029Ivo Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates-XRG14:36:0030David de la Cruz (Esp) Pinarello-Q36.514:37:0031Michael Gogl (Aut) Alpecin-Premier Tech14:38:0032Ivn Cobo (Esp) Kern Pharma14:39:0033Roman Ermakov (Slo) Bahrain Victorious14:40:0034Bryan Coquard (Fra) Cofidis14:41:0035Mats Wenzel (Lux) Kern Pharma14:42:0036Georg Steinhauser (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost14:43:0037Martin Tjtta (Nor) Uno-X Mobility14:44:0038Sylvain Moniquet (Bel) Cofidis14:45:0039Thibau Nys (Bel) Lidl-Trek14:46:0040Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kaz) XDS Astana14:47:0041Pablo Castrillo (Spa) Movistar Team14:48:0042Mathijs Paasschens (Ned) Bahrain Victorious14:49:0043Nick Schultz (Aus) NSN Cycling14:50:0044Jorge Arcas (Spa) Movistar14:51:0045Chris Hamilton (Aus) Picnic PostNL14:52:0046Magnus Cort (Den) Uno-X Mobility14:53:0047Gal Glivar (Slo) Alpecin-Premier Tech14:54:0048Darren Rafferty (Irl) EF Education-EasyPost14:55:0049Xabier Mikel Azparren Irurzun (Esp) Pinarello-Q36.514:56:0050Matthew Brennan (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike14:57:0051Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Col) Kern Pharma14:58:0052Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Mobility14:59:0053Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Lotto-Intermarch15:00:0054Jess Herrada (Esp) Burgos Burpellet BH15:01:0055Sergio Samitier (Esp) Cofidis15:02:0056Frederik Wandahl (Den) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe15:03:0057Joo Almeida (Por) UAE Team Emirates-XRG15:04:0058Gianni Vermeersch (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe15:05:0059Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Netcompany-Ineos15:06:0060Roland Thalmann (Sui) Tudor Pro Cycling15:07:0061Lars Craps (Bel) Lotto-Intermarch15:08:0062Alessandro Romele (Ita) XDS Astana15:09:0063Ivn Romeo (Spa) Movistar15:10:0064Walter Calzoni (Ita) Pinarello-Q36.515:11:0065Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Lidl-Trek15:12:0066Carlos Canal (Spa) Movistar15:13:0067Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike15:14:0068Sander De Pestel (Bel) Decathlon CMA CGM15:15:0069Rmy Rochas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United15:16:0070Simon Dalby (Den) Uno-X Mobility15:17:0071Thomas Gloag (GBr) Pinarello-Q36.515:18:0072Rudy Porter (Aus) Jayco AlUla15:19:0073Jose Luis Faura Asensio (Esp) Burgos Burpellet BH15:20:0074Marcel Camprub (Esp) Pinarello-Q36.515:21:0075Clement Alleno (Fra) Burgos Burpellet BH15:22:0076Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Uno-X Mobility15:23:0077Finn Fisher-Black (NZl) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe15:24:0078Bastien Tronchon (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United15:25:0079Pau Miquel (Esp) Bahrain Victorious15:26:0080Fabian Weiss (Sui) Tudor Pro Cycling15:27:0081Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) EF Education-EasyPost15:28:0082Ibon Ruiz (Spa) Kern Pharma15:29:0083Gianmarco Garofoli (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step15:30:0084Pau Marti Soriano (Esp) NSN Cycling15:31:0085William Barta (USA) Tudor Pro Cycling15:32:0086Axel Laurance (Fra) Netcompany-Ineos15:33:0087Andreas Kron (Den) Uno-X Mobility15:34:0088Bruno Armirail (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike15:35:0089Lennard Kmna (Ger) Lidl-Trek15:36:0090Stefan Kng (Sui) Tudor Pro Cycling15:37:0091Julien Bernard (Fra) Lidl-Trek15:38:0092Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) NSN Cycling15:39:0093Hannes Wilksch (Ger) Tudor Pro Cycling15:40:0094Attila Valter (Hun) Bahrain Victorious15:41:0095Paul Ourselin (Fra) Cofidis15:42:0096Enzo Paleni (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United15:43:0097Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United15:44:0098Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step15:45:0099James Shaw (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost15:46:00100Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) XDS Astana15:47:00101Luke Tuckwell (Aus) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe15:48:00102Reuben Thompson (NZl) Lotto-Intermarch15:49:00103Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike15:50:00104Jrgen Nordhagen (Nor) Visma-Lease a Bike15:51:00105Milan Vader (Ned) Pinarello-Q36.515:52:00106Kevin Vermaerke (USA) UAE Team Emirates-XRG15:53:00107Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United15:54:00108Larry Warbasse (USA) Tudor Pro Cycling15:55:00109Carlos Rodrguez (Esp) Netcompany-Ineos15:56:00110Ramses Debruyne (Bel) Alpecin-Premier Tech15:57:00111Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal Quick-Step15:58:00112Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Pinarello-Q36.515:59:00113Henok Mulueberhan (Eri) XDS Astana16:00:00114Marco Brenner (Ger) Tudor Pro Cycling16:01:00115Jos Manuel Daz (Esp) Burgos Burpellet BH16:02:00116Patrick Konrad (Aut) Lidl-Trek16:03:00117Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step16:04:00118Callum Scotson (Aus) Decathlon CMA CGM16:05:00119Pello Bilbao (Esp) Bahrain Victorious16:06:00120Tobias Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Mobility16:07:00121Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Cofidis16:08:00122Urko Berrade (Esp) Kern Pharma16:09:00123Jack Haig (Aus) Netcompany-Ineos16:10:00124Gijs Leemreize (Ned) Picnic PostNL16:11:00125Koen Bouwman (Ned) Jayco-AlUla16:12:00126Jarno Widar (Bel) Lotto-Intermarch16:13:00127Embret Svestad-Brdseng (Nor) Netcompany-Ineos16:14:00128Ral Garca Pierna (Esp) Movistar16:15:00129Santiago Buitrago (Col) Bahrain Victorious16:17:00130Jan Hirt (Cze) NSN Cycling16:19:00131Filippo Zana (Ita) Soudal Quick-Step16:21:00132Finlay Pickering (GBr) Jayco-AlUla16:23:00133Mario Aparicio (Esp) Burgos Burpellet BH16:25:00134Juan Felipe Rodriguez (Col) EF Education-EasyPost16:27:00135Matthew Riccitello (USA) Decathlon CMA CGM16:29:00136Guillaume Martin Guyonnet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United16:31:00137Lo Bisiaux (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM16:33:00138Harold Tejada (Col) XDS Astana16:35:00139Sepp Kuss (USA) Visma-Lease a Bike16:37:00140Clment Berthet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ United16:39:00141Cristin Rodrguez (Esp) XDS Astana16:41:00142Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek16:43:00143Jakob Omrzel (Slo) Bahrain Victorious16:45:00144Oscar Onley (GBr) Netcompany-Ineos16:47:00145Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost16:49:00146Primo Rogli (Slo) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe16:51:00147Felix Gall (Aut) Decathlon CMA CGM16:53:00148Enric Mas (Spa) Movistar Team16:55:00