“It may sound like a cliché, but it’s a huge luxury to ride in such a strong team,” a delighted Van Aert said afterwards. “With Bruno and Steven, we have two of the biggest engines in the peloton. When they take control at the front, it hurts everyone, especially on a day like today.”

The pace was high from the very start. As the riders approached the finish in Córdoba, the pace increased and several groups began to form. Van Aert stayed attentive near the front and patiently waited for his moment: “It’s true that I’m riding with confidence, especially after my victory on Friday. It makes it a bit easier to just go for it and not overthink things,” the Belgian explained.

After the intermediate sprint in Santa María de Trassierra, Van Aert launched an acceleration from the first group. He was quickly joined by Andreas Leknessund and Ramses Debruyne, before Thibau Nys and Alessandro Romele also made the connection. A five-man breakaway was formed. “I wanted to race aggressively and take as much time as possible in the final ten kilometers. We worked well together until a few kilometers from the finish. After that, I fully committed to my sprint,” Van Aert said.