Van Aert wins Vuelta stage 13, Mas retains red

Almunicar, Spain - Belgian cyclist Wout van Aert claimed his first victory of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana during stage 13, defeating French rider Valentin Paret-Peintre in a thrilling two-man sprint finish. Van Aert, a Points classification leader, launched a decisive attack with around four kilometers left, and managed to overtake Paret-Peintre in the final 200 meters to secure a hard-fought win.

Enric Mas, the wearer of the red jersey, did not participate in the stage and finished three minutes behind in the main group. Van Aert, a three-time cyclo-cross world champion, expressed his satisfaction with the result, stating that the stage presented a significant challenge.

The medium-mountainous route, one of the longest in the race, featured numerous attacks throughout. Dutch cyclist Gregor Muehlberger crashed during a climb, but managed to recover and continue. However, he was eventually forced to abandon the race.

Just a minute into the stage, a large group broke away from the main peloton. Van Aert was part of this group from the outset, and managed to pull ahead with approximately 20 km remaining. The Belgian cyclist thanked his teammate Valentin Paret-Peintre for being a "nice companion" in the final sprint. Van Aert's teammate, Matthew Brennan, secured third place in the general classification.

The next mountainous 152.7-kilometer stage from Jaen to Sierra de la Pandera awaits the riders on Saturday.