Today’s stage was anything but calm. Racing was nervous from the very start, with several crashes causing disruption in the peloton. The finale was no different, with riders having to remain alert at all times. Just over thirty kilometers from the finish, race leader Tadej Pogačar crashed heavily and was eventually forced to abandon the race. Ben Tulett and Sepp Kuss were also involved in the crash, but both riders were able to finish the stage.

For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the goal was to navigate the chaos as well as possible. With Matthew Brennan, the team once again had a strong chance in the sprint. The Brit, who had already won two stages in this Vuelta, was once again well supported by his teammates and remained alert in the peloton throughout the day. “There were a lot of crashes today, and I think that set the tone for the whole day,” Brennan said afterwards.

After a hectic final phase, the expected bunch sprint eventually took place in Xeraco. Bryan Coquard proved to be the fastest, while Brennan sprinted to tenth place. “The team tried their best again and I tried to follow Christophe, but in the end it was a bit too chaotic for my liking, so I lost his wheel,” Brennan explained. “I tried to get back, but then you’re not really in the ideal position to sprint. Of course, I’m quite disappointed, but we’ll just try again at the next opportunity.”

Wout van Aert made good progress in the points classification. The Belgian picked up more valuable points at the intermediate sprint and further strengthened his lead in the classification. Van Aert remains in green and will also start the next stage as the leader of the points classification.