Van Aert beats Nys and is crowned king of Córdoba on a sweltering day at the Vuelta a España

The final stage before the second rest day is only 110 kilometers long. On Saturday, the organizers decidedto shorten the stage by about 70 kilometers. This was entirely due to the extreme heat that was plaguing southern Spain—and, consequently, the peloton. As a result, the riders will also have to endure temperatures of nearly 40 degrees on Sunday.

Due to the shortening of the stage, one climb was omitted. Nevertheless, the course remained attractive, and attacks began immediately. A strong breakaway group of eleven riders pulled away, but it quickly became clear that Cofidis and Visma | Lease a Bike were calling the shots.

Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step), Ivo Oliveira (UAE), Frederik Wandahl (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Mikel Azparren (Pinarello Q36.5), Gijs Leemreize (Picnic PostNL), Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ), Rudy Porter (Jayco-AlUla), Alastair Mackellar (EF Education EasyPost), Fabian Weiss (Tudor), Ivo Oliveira (UAE), and Reuben Thompson (Lotto-Intermarché) made up that group.

In the peloton, it was therefore up to Cofidis and Visma | Lease a Bike to control the race. After Christophe Laporte withdrew on Saturday due to stomach problems, the Dutch team had six riders left. Steven Kruijswijk and Bruno Armirail were therefore the first to be put to work: they allowed the breakaway group barely a minute’s lead, knowing they were strong riders.

The Dutchman was riding so fast that it was even possible to make the crossing from the peloton. Georg Steinhauser, riding for EF Education-EasyPost, took advantage of that half-minute gap to make the crossing, but Kruijswijk and his teammates didn’t bat an eye: they just kept pushing hard.

On the Puerto de Arafi, the toughest climb of the day, there were some aggressive attacks with 50 kilometers to go. Visma | Lease a Bike also had to give it their all during that phase to keep the gap to Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X)—who hails from the Arctic Circle—within manageable limits: climber Jorgen Nordhagen was sent to the front. That cost teammate Bryan Coquard the lead: he was dropped.

Instead of waiting for the sprint, Visma | Lease a Bike then went on the attack. It was Van Aert who accelerated, and he was joined by his compatriot Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek) and Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana). That trio caught up with Leknessund and Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Premier Tech), who had moved to the front earlier. The peloton came to a complete standstill, and the other attackers were forced to give chase.

However, the teamwork wasn’t exactly top-notch. This meant we saw breakaways in the hills, but Debruyne and Van Aert were unable to shake off their breakaway companions. The five riders entered the descent together and began the final 10-kilometer flat stretch with a one-minute lead. There, they held off the fight for a moment, and the race went back and forth with riders taking turns at the front.

However, once it became clear that these five would make it, the jockeying for position began. It was Nys who made a break with three kilometers to go, but order was restored. Leknessund was next, but Van Aert skillfully closed the gap. In the sprint, everyone was watching the green jersey wearer, but it was Nys who launched his attack from way back. Too far back, as it turned out, because Van Aert managed to overtake him and clinched his second stage win in this Vuelta.

1. Wout van Aert
2. Alessandro Romele
3. Thibau Nys