Team Visma | Lease a Bike had five riders at the start after Wout van Aert’s unfortunate crash yesterday. After examination in the hospital, Van Aert was found to have suffered no fractures, although he has a deep wound to the knee. The 29-year-old Belgian has returned to Belgium for further rehabilitation.  

Sports director Grischa Niermann regrets Van Aert's abandonment, but he keeps the spririt high. “It's a big deception for the team to lose Wout. At least they won't take the three stage wins away from us. Unfortunately, the goal of standing in green and in polka dots on the podium in Madrid is gone. Our Vuelta partly revolved around Wout, who was in top shape. It is now up to us to keep going, because there are still opportunities this Vuelta. Sepp Kuss is close to a place in the top ten of the general classification. A stage win is still possible as well, although that wasn't on the cards today.”  

The peloton set off in Arnuero for 141 kilometres with two climbs along the way. The final part of the stage was mostly flat. Early in the stage, four riders formed the early breakaway. Only in the final kilometres the four were caught by the peloton, which prepared for a bunch sprint in a rained-out Santander. The win was for Groves. Edoardo Affini was the best-placed Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider in 20th place.  

“The rain made the stage tricky”, Niermann reflected. “The teams that still had a sprinter aboard were eager for a bunch sprint. It was a treacherous stage with some steep climbs and difficult descents. The roundabouts and many turns, combined with a wet road surface, also made it hard. For us it was important to get through this day unscathed. On to tomorrow.”