In the absence of superstar Tadej Pogacar another Slovenian announced himself to the cycling world with a stunning win on one of the toughest stages of this Vuelta a Espana: 20-year-old Jakob Omrzel.

The Bahrain-Victorious prodigy was part of a 30-strong breakaway on the 166.6km stage 12, a dramatic up-and-down day after two flatter stages for the sprinters.

Fireworks were always expected on the back-to-back category-one climbs at the end of the day and Omrzel duly provided them, taking his first WorldTour victory on the biggest stage – and on his debut grand tour.

The youngster – a former winner of the Giro d’Italia Next Gen, a prestigious stage race for under-23 riders – went solo with 12km to go on the final climb, the Calar Alto, a 17km behemoth averaging 5.6%.

The breakaway splintered apart in his wake and he held on to win by 1 minute 56 seconds from Urko Berrade, covering his face in delight and punching the air as he crossed the line.

Beaming ear to ear, Omrzel said afterwards: “I’m not surprised, because I know how much work I put in, and I knew that this day was going to come sooner or later. But for sure I was not expecting it 100% in the first Grand Tour. I still can’t believe what I did, but I felt super good, I’m still feeling OK, I’m not tired. So I’m just enjoying it at the moment.”

As well as a coming-of-age victory for the young Slovenian, the general classification battle sparked back into life on the run from Vera to Calar Alto.

Richard Carapaz attacked on the penultimate climb, the 13.1km Alto de Velefique, but was brought back before Felix Gall attacked on the final climb. Mas and Primoz Roglic were able to follow but Briton Oscar Onley – who crashed earlier on the stage – was distanced, before race leader Mas countered on a steep ramp.

Mas has looked the best climber in the race so far but he also benefited from an excellent tactical ride by his team; the Spaniard left Gall and Roglic in an uncooperative chasing group before bridging across to teammate Raul Garcia Pierna, a satellite rider Movistar had positioned in the breakaway.

Mas left Garcia Pierna further up the ascent and ultimately added another 27 seconds to his lead over second-placed Roglic, crossing the line seventh, just shy of three minutes behind Omrzel.

The 31-year-old now holds a lead of 1’45” over four-time champion Roglic and 2’06” over Gall. Carapaz moved up to fourth overall, 3’53” off the maillot rojo, but it was a tough day out for Onley, who lost over two minutes to Mas and dropped to fifth, 4’29” back.

Omrzel was the highest-ranked rider on GC to make it into the break, having sat 10th overall at the start of the day, and he moved up to sixth overall, now just 30 seconds behind Onley.

Elsewhere, former European champion Tim Merlier outsprinted Olav Kooij for victory on stage two of the Tour of Britain, a 181.1km run from Boston to Skegness.

British rider Lewis Askey remains in the overall lead while major rival Filippo Ganna lost nearly two minutes after a puncture at a critical time.

Manchester United have sanctioned the exit of one of their young stars nearly two days after transfer deadline day

Manchester United have confirmed that young forward Gabriele Biancheri has left the club to complete a permanent move to Austria. The 19-year-old has joined FC Wacker Innsbruck, who play in the second tier of Austrian football, with the deal confirmed less than two days after the transfer window closed in England.

United had the chance to sign players via the transfer market until 11pm on Tuesday, and opted not to bring in any new faces on deadline day.

The transfer window in Austria closes on Thursday evening, with Biancheri’s move to Innsbruck happening on the country’s deadline day.

United are able to sanction player exits to countries whose window remained open, despite it being closed in England, which allowed Biancheri to move to Austria.

Biancheri signed for United from Cardiff City back in 2023, where it was reported that he signed a four-year deal at the time.

The teenager spent the second half of last season on loan at Rotherham United, where he featured 11 times, and has now left the Reds without making a single first-team appearance for the club.

This is not the only departure that United have announced since the transfer deadline in England passed on Tuesday evening.

Chido Obi left Old Trafford earlier on Thursday to complete a season-long loan move to Willem II in the Netherlands, as the young striker seeks regular first-team football.

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United had a quiet end to their own transfer window with no new signings confirmed on deadline day, despite continuous rumours of a new left-back being wanted.

Leicester City star Louis Page also emerged as a target for the Reds, but a deal could not be agreed with the Foxes before the 11pm deadline on Tuesday.

Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba were all signed by United as the midfield was identified as a priority area for a need of reinforcements, while goalkeeper Karl Darlow also moved to Old Trafford earlier in the summer.

United will now prepare for their third Premier League match of the season this weekend, where they will face Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.

Michael Carrick and Co. go into the game with three points to their name and picked up their first win of the campaign last weekend with a 5-2 home victory over Ipswich Town.

We are nearly there.

Eight months on from the last time the Minnesota Vikings played meaningful football, Week 1 of the regular season is nearly upon us, with the Minnesota Vikings kicking things off by hosting the Green Bay Packers in just over a week. What should the expectations be for the 2026 incarnation of the Vikings? This seems the perfect time to look at what would constitute a good season for Minnesota in 2026.

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What Constitutes A Good Season For The 2026 Vikings?

Unless there are some very last-minute additions to the roster following the late pickup of Kyle Van Noy to the practice squad, the Vikings roster is set, and we know what we are dealing with for the 2026 season.

Last year, it felt like the Vikings were a disaster, but a flurry of late-season wins dragged Minnesota up to nine wins.

Only two major departures have occurred. First, Jonathan Greenard was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite offseason speculation, there is still no sign of Harrison Smith coming back for one more year.

Important incoming players include Kyler Murray, Jauan Jennings, and James Pierre, as well as this year’s band of rookies. Should we expect better from the Vikings in 2026? I certainly think so. Below I set out five different ways this season can go and what that means for the franchise.

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8 Wins or Less = Bad

Fewer wins than last season just wouldn’t be acceptable and would surely put head coach Kevin O’Connell on the hot seat. As long as Murray stays healthy, the Vikings should get consistent enough play out of him to at least match last year’s record.

If it’s eight wins, maybe O’Connell can survive, but the lower the win tally gets, the more likely he is to follow Kwesi Adofo-Mensah out the door, and new general manager Nolan Teasley will look for his own guy.

Wild Card Playoff Spot = Decent

The minimum requirement. O’Connell needs to do what he’s managed to do in every season that starts with an equal number, and lead his team to the playoffs. In a tough division, 9-10 wins and a wild-card spot in the playoffs would be a respectable effort. This is where I personally expect the Vikings to be this season, which should bring a tough first game in the playoffs on the road.

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Division Winners = Good

It feels like a big ask, but the Vikings weren’t expected to win the division in O’Connell’s first season back in 2022. If they could do it again, that would certainly make it a good season. How many wins would it take? 13 wins did it in 2022, but 14 was only good enough for second place in 2024. Last season, the Chicago Bears needed only 11 wins to take the division crown. However many wins it takes, a division title is always a positive thing. It would put Minnesota back where they want to be and possibly make them genuine contenders.

Win(s) in the Playoff = Very Good

O’Connell has yet to win a playoff game, and it is a glaring omission from his CV. His coaching has received a lot of buzz across the league, including winning Coach of the Year in 2024. For his name to be firmly in the conversation as one of the league’s best coaches, he has to guide his team to a playoff win.

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Can he do that this year?

Of course, a lot can depend on where the team lands in the seeding and who they come up against, but a playoff win has to be the big goal. Snag one, and you can make this season a success. You have to go back to 2019 for the last time the Vikings won a playoff game.

Super Bowl Win = The Dream

No one is expecting this team to win the Super Bowl, but no one was expecting the Seattle Seahawks to win it last season. It’s the joy of sports and why so many — fans included — invest so much time and emotion into it. If they could pull off this dream scenario, the 2026 Vikings would go down as the greatest team in franchise history.

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Dare to dream!

Also Read on Vikings Territory:Kyle Van Noy a Needed Addition, More on Why McCarthy Stays and Cutdown Reactions

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Rayo Vallecano and Racing Santander face off at the Estadio de Vallecas on Saturday as the early weeks of the 2026-27 La Liga campaign roll on. While the newly promoted visitors arrive in the capital on the back of their first win of the season, the hosts’ sluggish start has stretched into a fourth game, leaving them desperate to get going.

Despite last season’s exploits, in which they constantly defied expectations and external factors to finish eighth in La Liga and feature in the UEFA Conference League final, Rayo Vallecano failed to strengthen significantly during the summer window and are now being made to pay for that in the early days of the season.

As issues concerning their stadium lease continue to persist, Vallecano have struggled this season, kicking things off with a defeat to Sevilla and a draw with Deportivo Alaves. Los Franjirrojos‘ early-season troubles then reached a new low on matchday three when they suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat away to champions Barcelona.

Racing Santander, meanwhile, had home comforts to rely on in their first game back in the Spanish top flight since the 2011-12 campaign, hosting Villarreal at El Sardinero. Racinguistas came away with a point but will be largely disappointed not to have claimed all three after squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2.

Jose Alberto Lopez’s men then lost 1-0 to Getafe in their second game before finally getting off the mark last weekend. Facing off against Elche, Yassir Zabiri stole the spotlight for Racing by bagging a superb hat-trick, and although the newcomers had to weather a late onslaught, they ultimately held on to secure a 3-2 win.

Rayo Vallecano vs Racing Santander Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

• The two teams last met during the 2019-20 campaign, with Vallecano completing the double over Racing in the Segunda Division.
• Racing have kept just one clean sheet in their last 18 competitive matches.
• Only Elche (nine) have shipped more goals than Vallecano (eight) after the first three rounds.
• Los Franjirrojos have lost just one domestic home game since the start of October 2025.

Rayo Vallecano vs Racing Santander Prediction

Racing arrive in the capital this weekend as the more confident side while also boasting the slightly stronger squad on paper.

However, Vallecano possess a wealth of experience at this level alongside an excellent home record in recent months, both of which should combine to give them the edge on Saturday.

Prediction: Rayo Vallecano 1-0 Racing Santander

Rayo Vallecano vs Racing Santander Betting Tips

Tip 1 – Result: Rayo Vallecano to win

Tip 2 – Goals – Over/under 2.5 – Under 2.5 goals

Tip 3 – Both teams to score: No