Vuelta a España Stage 13: Wout van Aert Snags His Win After Breakaway Blitz

Wout van Aert got his missing victory in a wild attack-riddled stage Friday at the Vuelta a España.

The Belgian out-kicked Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) to win stage 13 after missing a few chances earlier in this Vuelta.

Visma-Lease a Bike played it perfectly to place three in a big, 40-rider breakaway in the three-climb stage contested under horrid temperatures.

Matthew Brennan paid back the favor to close some late attacks until Van Aert jumped with 3.5km to go, and crossed the line with Kevin Vermaerke seventh.

Widening his lead in the green jersey, Van Aert took his first victory in La Vuelta 26 after claiming three stages two years ago.

“It was a very difficult stage to control and we knew that with Matthew, Bruno and some others, we could try to win it,” Van Aert said. “The plan was to go in the break and it worked out perfectly. I am very proud.”

Enric Mas (Movistar) defended red in a transition stage with another summit finish on the horizon tomorrow.

“I can’t complain about the heat was too much because I asked for it. We’re in Andalucía, in summer, so I think it’s normal,” Mas said. “We kept calm at all times. We’re happy. We haven’t discussed tomorrow’s strategy yet. Historically, this team has won so many grand tours, and there’s a reason for that. We’ll try to come out of the stage in red again tomorrow.”

There were no major shakeups in the GC, but Felix Gall saw his chances take a blow when key Decathlon-CMA CGM Gregor Mühlberger crashed out early. The Austrian started the stage ninth overall and was a key helper for his compatriot.

How it happened: Heat and a huge break

Heat and a breakaway were on the menu Friday. Spanish weather officials issued a “yellow heat warning” for the second half of the stage as temperatures pushed beyond 100F.

After the peloton lost six riders Thursday, several names were out early Friday.

Stage 13 brought five more departures, with Alexey Lutsenko (NSN Cycling Team) not starting and Mühlberger, Francesco Busatto and Sente Sentjens (Alpecin-Premier Tech), and Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) abandoning during the stage.

With a Cat. 1 to open the stage, everyone expected a big break, and the peloton followed the script.

Forty riders pulled clear, including Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Emirates-XRG), Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Larry Warbasse (Tudor Pro Cycling).

Van Aert, Bruno Armirail, and Brennan infiltrated the move for Visma-Lease a Bike, with Brennan and Vermaerke making the select 10-rider split inside the break.

The day’s final climb at the Cat. 2 Puerto de Granada (6.5km at 6.2%) busted up everything, with Van Aert bridging across to the leaders.

Sepp Kuss celebrated Visma’s fourth stage win of this Vuelta as the Colorado climber stayed eighth overall.

“It was a hard stage for the heat and the speed and we were going all-out the entire stage. Congratulations to Wout for winning the stage because it was the only thing he was missing, and to win in the green jersey is something beautiful,” Kuss told Spanish TV. “We wanted to put at least two riders into the break, because Wout alone it would have been difficult.”

What’s next: Another brutal summit finale

The 2026 Vuelta continues Saturday with the 154.5km 14th stage from Jaén to Sierra de la Pandera.

La Pandera is back for the seventh time in the Vuelta. Two Cat. 2 climbs should spring a breakaway, but the GC heavies will saving their matches for the final Cat. 1 climb.

Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) won here the last time it finished here in 2022. At 11.8km at 7.8 percent, this one bites.

Scorching heat with temperatures expected to top 100F will make it even more decisive.

Saturday is the last major summit finish before next Thursday’s decisive 32.1km individual time trial.

Mas will want to defend his lead to Primož Roglič or perhaps even add to it if he can.

On paper, the flat pure power course favors Roglič, but this deep into a grand tour, it’s the legs that matter most.

Stage 13 results and standings