Van Aert finally claims his well-deserved Vuelta victory as Brennan and Visma take brilliant breakaway stage by the horns
CyclingFriday, 04 September 2026 at 17:21
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleThe thirteenth stage of the Vuelta a España was won by Wout van Aert. The Belgian from Visma | Lease a Bike beat Valentin Paret-Peintre in the sprint after a brilliant breakaway. Matthew Brennan, who colored the day with his Visma teammate and rode a great stage, finished third after a phenomenal spectacle.
ADVERTISEMENT
The big question of the day is: Can Visma | Lease a Bike hold off what will undoubtedly be a fierce wave of attacks—and, with Matthew Brennan, perhaps even dream of a sprint finish in Loja? Or does Wout van Aert need to be in the breakaway to fight for the stage win from there—and undoubtedly rack up a bunch of points for the points and mountains classifications?
Which sprinters would be able to get over the climbs
That question will apply to several teams, with sprinters who have already proven they can handle a short climb. Since most of the climbing is concentrated in the first part of the stage, the second half could turn into a controlled race. The Puerto de Granada will decide the outcome. On this 7.4-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 5.6 percent, it will become clear whether the peloton stands a chance or not.
The attackers certainly sensed their chance in this tricky opening stage, and it showed. After a long tug-of-war, a group of over 40 riders broke away: Visma | Lease a Bike had three riders in the break – Bruno Armirail, but above all Wout van Aert and Matthew Brennan. Big names such as Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Axel Laurance (Netcompany INEOS), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Jarno Widar (Lotto-Intermarché), Stefan Küng (Tudor) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) had also made the break.
Read more below the video
Visma | Lease a Bike in fine form, Mühlberger forced to withdraw
The plan to put Visma | Lease a Bike on the back foot had therefore failed miserably – so far. Van Aert was feeling good and took the full points on the Puerto Los Guájares, a first-category climb. This allowed him to close the gap slightly on polka-dot jersey wearer Santiago Buitrago. An attempt to break away afterwards failed.
Behind him, Decathlon CMA CGM suffered a setback. Gregor Mühlberger, ninth in the general classification and Felix Gall’s lead-out man, crashed and was forced to abandon the race. A major blow, of course. Alpecin-Premier Tech also suffered setbacks with the withdrawals of Francesco Busatto and Sente Sentjens, whilst Pavel Sivakov compounded the woes for UAE Team Emirates-XRG: the team had to continue with just four riders.
At the front, it was clear that a breakaway group of 42 was unsustainable. There were quite a few attacks, but a group of 11 managed to break away. This included strong riders such as Léo Bisisaux (Decathlon CMA CGM), Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates), Andreas Kron and Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X), Cristián Rodríguez (XDS Astana) and Vincenzo Albanese (EF Education-EasyPost), but Brennan simply slotted in alongside them.
Nasty crashes in the breakaway groups
That group was pulling further and further clear of the chasers. 30 seconds, a minute, two minutes... It all happened very quickly. However, the leading group had to carry on without Laurance, who literally fell behind. David de la Cruz (Pinarello – Q36.5), part of the chasing group, also took a heavy fall and clutched his shoulder. Miraculously, he was able to carry on.
The front group maintained a lead of between one and two minutes in the relatively flat middle section of the race. Upon arriving at the final climb, the Puerto de Granada, the second group closed the gap.
Leknessund was caught again, and Brennan showed his strength. He managed to fend off attacks and ensured that Van Aert, who was pounding hard at the front, could join a group of about ten men just before the top of the climb. The question was: could Visma | Lease a Bike control everything with just two riders?
Visma | Lease a Bike takes the bull by the horns
It turned out they had their own doubts about that too. It was actually Brennan and Van Aert who kept attacking, and that caused the peloton to split. They rode away together in a group of about ten riders, but nobody wanted to work with the riders on the Dutch team. Meanwhile, the second group had grown considerably as riders caught up.
It then turned into a thrilling battle in the leading group. Everyone had a go at it, but no one wanted to cross the line with Visma | Lease a Bike. It was attack, pause, attack… A real spectacle! Breaking away, however, proved difficult: whenever a Visma rider attacked, the rest were right on his wheel. If someone else tried something, a Visma rider was right there with them. It went on like that for a while.
In the final ten kilometres, things quietened down a bit, but it turned out to be the calm before the storm. Brennan and Van Aert had to fend off every breakaway, which took a lot out of them. However, it was Van Aert who then went on the attack himself. Only Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) was able to keep up. The Frenchman was willing to work with him, and so they sprinted together for the win. That was a piece of cake for Van Aert.
Results of Stage 13 of the 2026 Vuelta a España
1. Wout van Aert
2. Valentin Paret-Peintre "
3. Matthew Brennan + 0.24
4. Jarno Widar "
5. Vincenzo Albanese "
Read also
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.
IDL-productions
32.1 kilometers, 1:46 to claw back: Here's the maths Primož Roglic needs to know to overhaul Mas at the Vuelta
Welsh cycling club to hold memorial race in honour of Finlay Tarling, with an emotional name on the start list
2026 Vuelta a España route | Three beautiful stages will close out week 2
'A farewell tour and a Wiggins debut: Five British riders to watch at the Tour of Britain
Quinn Simmons and Kristen Faulkner lead Team USA’s stacked Road World Championships squad, but some riders aren't happy
Latest Cycling News
2026 Vuelta a España stage 14 preview | 'The new Pogačar' could threaten Vuelta leader Enric Mas on La Pandera
Bruyneel gobsmacked by Gall and Roglic's racing style: 'You don’t win the Vuelta with that kind of mindset'
Brennan speechless after Van Aert's Vuelta victory: 'But I don't think I was very popular'
Vuelta a España 2026 Standings | A new top 10 customer and a good day for Van Aert
Key Felix Gall domestique and Vuelta top 10 contender crashes out of the Vuelta a Esapaña
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | The 2027 transfer market merry-go-round continues apace
2026 Vuelta a España start list & dropouts | Four riders stepped off their bikes on stage 12
Vuelta a España 2026 Standings | A new top 10 customer and a good day for Van Aert
Van der Poel thinks Pogačar could recover in time for the Cycling World Championships: 'It’s a different story'
2026 Vuelta a España route | Three beautiful stages will close out week 2
Latest Comments
- - Vamos! Pero ojo, el viento de Cádiz no perdona. If Roglič catches his two-minute man otra vez, se acabó la roja. If not, Mas tiene la sierra para rematar en lagearguru3304-09-2026
- - You mentioned 2021 Galicia TT, but Mas basically rode safe for the podium then. The 2023 mid-Vuelta TT gaps are the better comp and still point to Rogla by ~30–00 on flat terrain. If he takes55 in Jerez, Mas will try to rip it back on Alguacil. Buckle up.cadencekingm04-09-2026
- - Wait, so if Roglic was hit by a car and missed five weeks, how can he still be favourite for a flat time trial? Does missing that block usually cost like 1–2 minutes over 30km?velodromevirtuoso104-09-2026
- - Great read, but small nitpick: calling it “pan flat” ignores those exposed coastal sections where crosswinds can cook your speed. Aero stability could decide it as much as raw watts. Mas at 61kg could get bounced around more.tourdeforce904-09-2026
- - Roglič’s TT record vs Mas over 25–34km is brutal. If the wind stays steady along the bay and he holds 400w+ for ~38–39 minutes,46 is absolutely on. Key is negative split and not bleeding seconds in the roundabouts.sprocketspiny04-09-2026
- - Amazing effort for ‘For Fin’—£96k already is incredible. Hope the fund supports safer race infrastructure as well as young riders. Más seguridad, por favor.velodromevirtuoso104-09-2026
- - Did Lidl-Trek or BORA file a protest? Normally DSs would be livid if riders met traffic twice in a TT. Feels like there should be time compensation or at least an official statement.lindae04-09-2026
- - Seeing a car head-on with Leidert is terrifying. Even if he avoided it, riders can’t be expected to thread needles at 50 km/h. Race convoy protocols and hard closures must be non-negotiable, especially on narrow Brilon lanes.samanthak04-09-2026
- - Can someone explain what “2-category” means? Is that like a second division race, and does that affect how strict the road closures are supposed to be?breakawaybikerd04-09-2026
- - Sorry, but the article leans a bit sensational. You mention “many more cars” but also say stewards kept it clear and all 105 finished. Which is it? Need clarity: were there neutralised gaps, actual breaches, or just poor optics?cyclechamp4504-09-2026
Loading
