Clear favourites for Vuelta a España stage 10, but Brennan and Van Aert disappoint: 'There’s pressure on us'
CyclingTuesday, 01 September 2026 at 21:04
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Follow us on GoogleVisma | Lease a Bike was the clear favorite in Stage 10 of the Vuelta a España, but even though the Dutch team executed everything perfectly all day long, Wout van Aert could only manage fourth in the sprint. It wasn’t the result the team had hoped for, so after the finish, there was quite a bit of criticism on social media regarding the decisions made.
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On Radio Peloton, it was already clear before the start of the stage that Visma | Lease a Bike would be backing Van Aert in the tenth stage. The Belgian himself didn’t shy away from his responsibilities before the start of the stage either: “I’ve circled this stage,” he said ambitiously. And so all eyes were on Visma’s yellow-and-black jersey.
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Visma controlled all day, for no reward
The team took on that role with enthusiasm, let a breakaway go, controlled it excellently through Steven Kruijswijk, and when the final stretch began, all sorts of attacks were neatly neutralized. Matthews Brennan and Sepp Kuss also stayed on the wheels to keep Van Aert’s chances of a sprint finish uphill alive.
In the end, it came down to a sprint, but Van Aert never really managed to break free on the right side of the road to power through, and he didn’t seem to have anything left in the tank at the end either. He finished fourth, and although he earned a lot of points toward the green jersey and the points classification, disappointment prevailed afterward.
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Should Visma | Lease a Bike have backed Brennan?
The regular cycling fans on X were quite critical when Van Aert finished fourth and Visma | Lease a Bike thus missed the mark. “Visma really messed up,” was one of the comments. “Visma controlled the race for Wout, even though he had a better chance from the breakaway, with Brennan as a Plan B from the peloton behind. Now the team has burned its bridges and limited its options,” said another.
"Self-sabotage," Benji Naesen continued. These are just the opinions of cycling fans, but Van Aert’s disappointment was, of course, well-founded. He, too, was well aware that the entire Visma team was riding for him and that a fourth-place finish simply wasn’t enough. “I’m disappointed. I had to come from far behind after that turn at the 600-meter mark,” he said self-critically on VTM.
"We needed the whole team to set up a sprint, so I'm disappointed that I couldn't find my way on my own. I fell short in those final meters,” Van Aert continued, adding to Eurosport: “I was Plan A; we wanted to go for the sprint with me. It should have suited me—a sprint with tired legs. But I fell short, though I’m proud of everyone’s effort.”
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Van Aert answers critical questions
Van Aert has now accumulated 143 points in the green jersey competition. That gives him a 67-point lead over second-place Alessandro Romele (76 points) in the race for the green jersey. And so Van Aert remained defiant: “When you’ve given it your all like I did today, you have nothing to regret. It’s just a shame that I lost my position.”
Van Aert was able to handle a somewhat critical question from Eurosport about whether Brennan might actually have won that stage. “There’s pressure on us, and Matthew will feel it too when I do the lead-out for him. We’re handling it really well, even though there are a lot of doubts and questions from the outside. But we’re here in green and have already won two stages, so we should be proud and keep it up.”
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Pedersen’s engine usually purrs on these power finishes; being 163rd says the virus is still in him. Aguanta un poco, Mads—mejor cuidarte para Montreal.robert6501-09-2026
- - Great call by Lidl-Trek to let Nys sprint for third. Under normal circumstances this is Mads’ terrain, but adapting mid-race is what top squads do. Tronchon’s win was wild—who had that on their bingo card?davidm01-09-2026
- - Can someone explain why he’d stay in the race if he’s poorly? Doesn’t that make the World Championships prep worse, not better?velodromevirtuoso101-09-2026
- - Is a sore throat really enough to lose 12 minutes, though? Wonder if there’s more going on than the team’s letting on. Feels a bit glossed over.lindae01-09-2026
- - Tough break for Mads. You could see from Stage 8 he still had the kick, but Stage 10 looked like the illness really bit. Smart to prioritise Montreal if the throat doesn’t clear—no point burying himself in the Vuelta.sprocketspiny01-09-2026
- Yes, Pogi has won five Tour de France's. He won in 2020/21/24/25/26. Jonas has won two in 2022/23. Pogi also has 13 monuments he has won. Details on a quick Google search or go to procyclingstats.com.qpshealing01-09-2026
- - Great read, but the article mixes up the Worlds timeline a tad. MvdP beat Wout in Glasgow; Pog was third. He hasn’t won the last two road worlds—did you mean GP Montréal twice? Clarify please. Still, allez Mathieu! Vamos!raceready701-09-2026
- - People forget MvdP’s MTB grid spots always hamstring him; it’s not like he lost pure legs. Start loop chaos decides half the race in Val di Sole. Bring on skinny tyres—defending champ vibes in Canada, even if it’s a different profile than Glasgow.pedalpowe2901-09-2026
- - Hoping Pog is okay—collarbone plus a vertebra and a concussion is no joke. Even if he lines up, hard to see him at 100%. GP Montréal history says he loves that parcours though.michael5401-09-2026
- - Wait, if Pogačar won the last two Worlds “by a wide margin,” were those road worlds or something else? I thought Glasgow 2023 was MvdP’s rainbow jersey on the road. Bit confused there.patriciaw01-09-2026
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