The peloton set off towards Seville under the blazing sun, a day after the first mountain stage. Two Spaniards broke away early in the race, but thanks in part to the efforts of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the duo never had a chance of winning the stage.

A few dozen kilometers from the finish, Van Aert contested a sprint for points in the green jersey competition. The Belgian narrowly lost to rival Kaden Groves, but sharpened his focus for the inevitable sprint in Seville.

In the long, wide finishing straight, Van Aert launched his sprint early. He appeared to be heading for his second stage victory in this Vuelta a España, but Bittner had other plans, pushing his bike just slightly ahead at the line.

Afterward, Van Aert analyzed his sprint: "It was a high-speed sprint. To be honest, I expected a bit more of a headwind. I did what I had planned, which was to start my sprint from the wheel of my competitors. I began my sprint early and then felt someone coming alongside. I threw my bike forward a bit too soon because I got confused by the shadows on the road. It's an easy mistake to make in the heat of the moment, but I think it decided the stage. A costly error," Van Aert admitted.

"Unfortunately, I can’t change it now," Van Aert realized. He was quick to congratulate stage winner Bittner after the finish. "He did an excellent job today. Pavel came alongside fairly quickly, and then it was a real battle to the line. It’s clear he deserved this victory. It’s disappointing in many ways that I missed out on the stage win, as I could have made great progress in the fight for the green jersey. I’m really frustrated by this missed opportunity, but Bittner truly deserved the win today."