The Red Bull athlete attacks clear of the breakaway to take the win into Loja
Wout van Aert claimed his first stage victory of this year’s race after attacking from the breakaway inside the final 4km to win in Loja.
The victory is his fourth at La Vuelta and 15th individual Grand Tour stage win, while he also retains the green jersey.
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Van Aert was part of a huge early breakaway that swelled to 43 riders, with his Visma | Lease a Bike teammate Matthew Brennan also making the move. Brennan repeatedly closed down rival attacks to keep the breakaway alive as the group fought for position.
As the breakaway splintered on the run-in to Loja, Van Aert attacked with around 4km remaining. Only Valentin Paret-Peintre could follow, setting up a two-up sprint for the stage victory.
“I saw the profile and knew this was the last kicker before coming into the village. At this distance, people start to think about the sprint. If you’re able to open up a gap, they don’t want to close it for each other anymore,” Van Aert explained after the finish.
Van Aert comfortably took the sprint in Loja to claim his first stage win of this year’s race and his fourth career Vuelta stage victory.
The win is Van Aert’s 15th individual Grand Tour stage victory overall, adding to his ten stage wins at the Tour de France and one at the Giro d’Italia.
The victory caps an impressive second week for Van Aert, who has repeatedly featured in breakaways and now retains the green points jersey. He also sits second in the King of the Mountains standings.
