Wout van Aert won Vuelta stage 13 with a late attack and a two-up sprint victory in Loja, giving Visma-Lease a Bike another success at the race.

The Belgian beat Valentin Paret-Peintre of Soudal Quick-Step after the pair escaped from a reduced breakaway in the closing kilometres. Van Aert made his decisive move with 3.7km remaining, using the final rise into the village to split the lead group.

Paret-Peintre responded quickly and worked with Van Aert toward the finish. The Frenchman could not match him in the final sprint, and Van Aert crossed first after 4:34:00 of racing.

Matthew Brennan completed a strong day for Visma-Lease a Bike by taking third at 24 seconds. The result continued the team’s productive Vuelta, after Brennan had already delivered its first three stage wins.

Vuelta stage 13 breakaway dominates lumpy route

The 192km stage from Almuñécar always looked favourable for a breakaway. Race organisers labelled it a medium mountain stage, with 3,400 metres of climbing across three categorised ascents.

The first climb came inside the opening 30km and helped create a huge move. More riders bridged across, and the front group eventually reached 43 riders, more than a quarter of the peloton.

That group steadily fractured as the terrain and repeated attacks took effect. By the finale, only nine riders remained in contention, including Van Aert and Brennan.

Brennan then played a key role for his teammate. The 20-year-old Briton followed four attacks inside the final 8km, covering moves from Léo Bisiaux and Simon Dalby. His work kept Van Aert protected and allowed the Belgian to choose his moment.

Van Aert later said he had identified the late kicker as a launch point. He explained that riders often begin thinking about the sprint at that distance, making hesitation behind more likely.

He praised Paret-Peintre as a “nice companion” after the Frenchman joined him and contributed turns before the sprint.

Visma-Lease a Bike adds fourth Vuelta win

Van Aert’s victory came two years and a day after he abandoned his debut Vuelta. That withdrawal followed a crash on a descent, which caused a season-ending knee injury.

Brennan said Van Aert was a “superstar” after helping set up the win. He added that working for him felt “sweeter than a win”.

After the finish, Van Aert pulled Brennan into a celebratory hug. The pair also continue to control the points classification, with Van Aert leading Brennan by 65 points.

The general classification saw only small changes. Enric Mas of Movistar retained the overall lead, 1:45 ahead of Primož Roglič of Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe. Felix Gall remains third at 2:06.

Clément Berthet moved into the top 10 for Groupama-FDJ United after Gregor Mühlberger of Decathlon CMA CGM withdrew following a crash.

Stage 13 top 10

• 1. Wout van Aert, Visma-Lease a Bike, 4:34:00
• 2. Valentin Paret-Peintre, Soudal Quick-Step, same time
• 3. Matthew Brennan, Visma-Lease a Bike, +24s
• 4. Jarno Widar, Lotto Intermarché, +24s
• 5. Vincenzo Albanese, EF Education-EasyPost, +24s
• 6. Finn Fisher-Black, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, +24s
• 7. Kevin Vermaerke, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +24s
• 8. Léo Bisiaux, Decathlon CMA CGM, +28s
• 9. Simon Dalby, Uno-X Mobility, +32s
• 10. Filippo Zana, Soudal Quick-Step, +45s

General classification after stage 13

• 1. Enric Mas, Movistar Team, 45:08:51
• 2. Primož Roglič, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, +1:45
• 3. Felix Gall, Decathlon CMA CGM, +2:06
• 4. Richard Carapaz, EF Education-EasyPost, +3:53
• 5. Oscar Onley, Netcompany-Ineos, +4:29
• 6. Jakob Omrzel, Bahrain-Victorious, +4:59
• 7. Mattias Skjelmose, Lidl-Trek, +5:32
• 8. Sepp Kuss, Visma-Lease a Bike, +7:58
• 9. Harold Tejada, XDS-Astana, +8:33
• 10. Clément Berthet, Groupama-FDJ United, +11:06

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