Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) made it a stage-win hat-trick on the Vuelta a España, successful the hilly stage 10 in Baiona.
He outsprinted breakaway companion Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ) after attacking on the ultimate, cat-one climb of Alto de Mougás, and holding on in the course of the descent to a technical end on the finish of the 160km outing in north-west Spain.
It noticed him retain the inexperienced factors jersey and transfer into equal factors with Adam Yates (UAE-Workforce Emirates) on the prime of the mountains classification.
It was a powerful reiteration of the Belgian’s versatility, after he received the bunch end on stage three, and received from one other giant group dash on stage seven to Cordoba.
Afterwards Van Aert stated the win was “further particular”, as his household was there on the end.
“It isn’t too usually I can win after they go to me on the race,” he stated. He additionally admitted that he had almost given up on his hopes of constructing the breakaway, after struggling on the primary climb.
“It was my purpose to be within the breakaway, however I had a tough time on the primary climb, and really I nearly gave up,” he stated. “However I gave it yet another attempt earlier than the highest, however nonetheless I feel for 50 kilometres we actually needed to combat to get a little bit of a spot.
The most recent race content material, interviews, options, opinions and knowledgeable shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
“I feel it was in my favour, as a result of the climbers within the group had perhaps much less contemporary legs… that is how I received.
It was put to him that ‘each stage is a Wout van Aert stage’.
“That is a bit exaggerated, I’d say,” he smiled, “but it surely’s good in a race like this, when you could have a flexible profile… after I find yourself in a state of affairs like this, I at all times have an opportunity.
GC chief Ben O’Connor (Decathlon-AG2R) efficiently defended the crimson jersey over the flurry of climbs that comprised the ultimate third of a heat stage in verdant countryside.
The way it occurred
Two big-name riders had clearly earmarked at present’s stage of their calendars, with Marc Soler (UAE-Workforce Emirates) and Van Aert spending the primary 25km after the beginning in Ponteareas attempting to make a breakaway occur. They ultimately managed it, establishing a five-man break that additionally featured William Junior Lecerf (Soudal-Fast Step), Juri Hollman (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Pacher.
With all of them greater than an hour down on GC other than Pacher who had a 34-minute deficit, they posed no risk to the general and the peloton was completely satisfied to allow them to off the leash.
Fastidiously marshalled by O’Connor’s Decathlon-AG2R team-mates, the hole rose slowly to round six minutes, the place it remained till the race reached the trio of climbs that made up the ultimate 60km of the stage. This a part of the race noticed cat-three and two cat-two ascents, one after the opposite.
The break nonetheless had 5 minutes on the foot of the ultimate climb – additionally the day’s hardest and the one cat-one. This was the place Van Aert made his transfer, Pacher tagging on to his coat-tails.
They shortly gained round half a minute, and though Soler made a concerted try to shut the hole, he was unable to take action.
Pacher and van Aert labored in tandem, efficiently negotiating the descent of the Mougás, then the ultimate 10km, which included a small hill and ensuing technical descent to the road.
Pacher supplied up a token assault with 1,500m to go, which van Aert shut down instantly, earlier than the Belgian delivered the predictable dash victory with ease.
Outcomes
La Vuelta a España 2024 Stage 10: Ponteareas > Baiono (160km)
1. Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 3:50:47
2. Quentin Pacher (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, +3sec
3. Marc Soler (Spa) UAE-Workforce Emirates, +2:01
4. William Junior Lecerf (Bel) Soudal-Fast Step
5. Juri Hollman (Ger) Alpecin-Deceuninck, each s.t.
6. Txomin Juaristi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi, +5:13
7. Jhonatan Narváez (European) Ineos Grenadiers, +5:31
8. Stefan Küng (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
9. George Bennett (Nzl) Israel-PremierTech
10. Harald Tejada (Col) Astana-Qazaqstan, all at s.t.
Normal Classification after Stage 10
1. Ben O’Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, in 40:05:54
2. Primož Roglič (Slo) Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +3:53
3. Richard Carapaz (European) EF Training-EasyPost, +4:32
4. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar, +4:35
5. Mikel Landa (Esp) Soudal Fast-Step, +5:17
6. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +5:29
7. Adam Yates (GBr) UAE Workforce Emirates, +5:30
8. Felix Gall (Aut) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +5:30
9. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, +6:00
10. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, +6:32
