How Much Santiago Buitrago Earned at the 2026 Vuelta a España
Colombian cyclist Santiago Buitrago earned a reported €36,255 (about US$41,865) in prize money at the 2026 Vuelta a España. His earnings included the mountains classification title, mountain-climb prizes and payments linked to his time in the race’s climbing jersey.
The Bahrain Victorious rider did not win a stage, although he came close twice. He finished second on stage 14 at Sierra de la Pandera, one second behind Marco Brenner, and again on stage 19 at Peñas Blancas, where Eddie Dunbar passed him late in the climb. Dunbar won the stage by 14 seconds.
His strongest financial reward came from winning the mountains classification, which paid €13,000 (about US$15,011) under the reported prize schedule.
Buitrago’s earnings from the Vuelta
The Vuelta’s reported prize schedule included payments for stage results, final classifications, daily leadership, intermediate sprints, mountain climbs and special awards. The mountains classification winner received €13,000 (about US$15,011), while the winner of an individual stage received €11,000 (about US$12,702).
Buitrago’s reported €36,255 (about US$41,865) in prize money included the €13,000 (about US$15,011) awarded for winning the mountains classification, along with payments from mountain-climb results and daily jersey leadership.
The figure represents race-generated prize money and may not equal the amount Buitrago personally retains after team and staff distributions. Professional cycling teams commonly pool race winnings and distribute them among riders and support staff under internal agreements. Prize money is also separate from a rider’s salary and any contractual performance bonuses.
The Vuelta’s mountains competition rewards riders who accumulate points at designated climbs throughout the race. Buitrago’s success in that classification placed him among a small group of Colombian winners of the event’s climbing title.
Four Colombians have won the mountains classification
Buitrago’s victory made him the fourth Colombian cyclist to win the Vuelta a España mountains classification, joining three predecessors who collectively won five titles.
Luis “Lucho” Herrera was the first Colombian to claim the classification in 1987, the same year he won the overall Vuelta. He added a second mountains title in 1991. Oscar de Jesus Vargas followed in 1989, and Martin Farfan won in 1990. Felix Cardenas then claimed consecutive victories in 2003 and 2004.
Buitrago’s 2026 title ended a 22-year gap since Cardenas’s second victory. It also added a new achievement to a career in which the Colombian has established himself as a prominent climber in stage races.
The mountains classification leader has worn a white jersey with blue dots since 2010, although the design and colors associated with the competition have changed several times during the Vuelta’s history.
Who finished behind Buitrago?
Buitrago secured the final mountains classification ahead of Belgium’s Wout van Aert and Britain’s Oscar Onley, who finished among the other leading riders in the competition. Buitrago built his victory on accumulating points across the race’s categorized climbs.
His performance also included two near misses in the stage results. On stage 14, he finished one second behind Brenner at Sierra de la Pandera. On stage 19, he attacked the breakaway near the finish at Peñas Blancas and appeared close to victory before Dunbar caught him late in the climb. Dunbar won the stage by 14 seconds.
Those results helped define Buitrago’s Vuelta: he was consistently competitive in the mountains and ultimately secured a major classification without a stage victory.
Buitrago, born in Bogota on Sept. 26, 1999, was 26 years old at the conclusion of the race. He rode for Bahrain Victorious, the UCI WorldTeam he had represented since turning professional.
What comes next for Buitrago?
Buitrago’s Vuelta campaign came as he prepared for a change in his professional career. He is set to leave Bahrain Victorious at the end of the season and join NSN Cycling Team on a three-year deal running through 2029.
The move will close his time with Bahrain Victorious after a period in which he developed into one of the team’s principal stage-race riders. His performance in Spain offered evidence of his climbing ability and his capacity to contend for major results in a Grand Tour.
At 26, Buitrago remains in the competitive phase of his career, and the mountains title gives him a significant achievement to carry into his next team.
What did the other classification winners earn?
The Vuelta’s final classification prizes varied considerably. Enric Mas received €150,000 (about US$173,210) for winning the general classification, while Primož Roglič earned €57,985 (about US$66,957) for second place and Félix Gall received €30,000 (about US$34,642) for third.
The points classification winner, Wout van Aert of Visma–Lease a Bike, received €11,000 (about US$12,702). Oscar Onley of Netcompany–Ineos received the same €11,000 (about US$12,702) for winning the young rider classification. The team classification winner, Decathlon CMA CGM, received €12,500 (about US$14,434).
Mas’s race-generated earnings exceeded his general-classification prize. He also received €11,000 (about US$12,702) for winning the Alto de Aitana stage and €500 (about US$577) for each of the 14 days he wore the red jersey, bringing his reported total to at least €168,000 (about US$193,995).
Buitrago’s result illustrates how the Vuelta’s prize structure rewards achievements beyond stage victories. His mountains title was the defining result of his race and gave Colombia its latest winner of one of the event’s established classifications.