Wout van Aert leaves no doubt about his goal in this Vuelta: "That’s clear for everyone to see"

"It was very hot. Everyone struggled with that. But it was perhaps a more controlled day than expected because Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe took the reins. They really wanted to control the race, and I saw that they won, but I don’t know much about what else happened," said Van Aert.

"A lot of people came up to me, so overall, it was another good day. Monday’s victory made it easier to enjoy the day," the Herentals native added with a smile. Wednesday’s stage is the flattest of the entire Vuelta, heading towards Seville. It’s also the last stage where fifty points are up for grabs at the finish.

"I was able to grab some points for the green jersey, so that was a nice bonus. I see the stage to Seville as a great opportunity, and I think it’s clear to everyone that I’ve set my sights on the green jersey," Van Aert said, leaving no doubt about his goals for the rest of the Vuelta.

However, Groves did gain two points on Van Aert by narrowly beating him in the intermediate sprint. The Australian from Alpecin-Deceuninck is now just six points behind the Belgian from Visma | Lease a Bike, meaning he could overtake him on Wednesday.