Van Aert wins Vuelta stage 13, Mas retains red

Wout van Aert secured stage 13 of the Vuelta a España with a two-up sprint victory over Valentin Paret-Peintre. The Belgian rider and his 20-year-old teammate, Matthew Brennan, were part of a massive breakaway that swelled to over 40 riders during the 192km stage. By the race's conclusion, only nine riders remained in contention, including Van Aert and Brennan.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider had planned his attack to take advantage of a final kick higher up the mountain, which he saw as an opportune moment to create a significant gap to other sprinters. Brennan provided valuable support during the final 3.7km, allowing Van Aert to open a substantial lead as they crossed the finish line together in a celebratory hug.

The win marked Visma-Lease a Bike's fourth victory in the race, with Brennan contributing to the team's success in the previous three stages. Enric Mas leads the general classification by one minute and 45 seconds over Primož Roglič.