Wout van Aert took his third stage victory of the Vuelta a España today, triumphing in a challenging 160-kilometre route from Ponteareas to Baiona. The Belgian rider, representing Team Visma | Lease a Bike, executed a well-timed attack that saw him break away from the peloton early on, ultimately crossing the finish line ahead of his rivals.
The day began with Van Aert making his intentions clear, launching an attack right from the start. Although his first attempt was neutralised before the initial climb, he persisted, launching a second attack that proved decisive. Joined by four other riders, Van Aert’s group managed to stay clear of the chasing pack. The decisive moment came when Van Aert surged forward during the intermediate sprint, dropping all but one of his breakaway companions, Quentin Pacher.
As the race reached the final climb, Van Aert and Pacher had extended their lead to more than a minute. The duo then faced a descent of about twenty kilometres before a final sprint to the line, where Van Aert emerged victorious. This win also solidified his position in the points classification, where he now holds a commanding lead.
“It was the plan to get into the breakaway today,” Van Aert explained after the race. “That certainly didn’t happen easily. I struggled quite a bit on the first climb of the day. I almost thought about letting go, but I wanted to make one last-ditch effort. It then took several dozen kilometres to finally create a decisive gap with the peloton. I think that tough opening phase worked in my favour today.”
Van Aert’s victory was made even more special as his family was present to witness it. “It doesn’t happen often that I win when my family is present,” he said. “That makes today’s victory extra special. They were also here yesterday on the rest day. They bring me the energy I need and allow me to step away from the world of cycling for a moment.”
Pacher, who finished second, acknowledged the challenge of going up against Van Aert, calling him “a real all-rounder, he can do everything – he can climb well, he can sprint well, he’s really hard to beat.”
Photo Credit: Unipublic/Sprint Cycling AgencyMeanwhile, the overall leader, Ben O’Connor, had a relatively uneventful day, maintaining his 3:53 lead over Primož Roglič. The GC contenders were content to let the breakaway battle for the stage victory, conserving energy for the tougher days ahead. O’Connor praised his team’s efforts, saying, “Credit the boys: we were strong all day, we controlled it from the start, we let the right break go.”
As the race continues, Sepp Kuss, currently 14th overall, expressed satisfaction with his consistent performance despite not being at his best. “I was consistent all the days. I never had that extra bit to really be there with the best guys, but I never had a bad, bad day either.”
With several difficult stages still to come, riders like Adam Yates, who now sits in seventh place, will be looking for opportunities to move up in the GC. Yates’ team manager, Joxean Fernánez Matxin, acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, “Now he’s going to be more controlled again, but there are plenty of hard stages to come.”
2024 Vuelta a Espana Stage 10 result
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Main photo credit: Getty
