Wout van Aert wins stage 3 of Vuelta a España, solidifies lead in red jersey
Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) solidified his position as the leader in the 79th Vuelta a España on Monday by winning the third stage, a 191.2-kilometre race from Lousa to Castelo Branco. Van Aert edged out Australian Kaden Groves and Spaniard Jon Aberasturi in a mass sprint, securing the red leader's jersey. Arne Marit finished in fourth place, while Arjen Livyns came in seventh.
With this victory, Van Aert extends his lead to thirteen seconds over American Brandon McNulty and fifteen seconds over Czech Mathias Vacek. He also takes over the green jersey as the new leader in the points classification, overtaking Groves. "My plan was to do the opposite of yesterday, but still use my strength and go early. I think I surprised him by going for the 200-metre sign. It was slightly uphill, but still with a lot of speed: that was the ideal sprint for me," said Van Aert.
As anticipated, the third day of the Vuelta followed a similar course to Sunday’s stage. Despite the climbs, it was viewed as an opportunity for sprinters, with only two Spanish wildcard teams showing interest in an early breakaway. The breakaway group consisted of four riders: Luis Ángel Maté and Xabier Isasa for Euskaltel-Euskadi, and Ibon Ruiz and Unai Iribar for Equipo Kern Pharma. Maté secured the mountain jersey during the stage.
In the peloton, Van Aert's teammates took charge of the chase, supported by the Belgian team Alpecin-Deceuninck, who had celebrated a win the previous day thanks to Groves. During an intermediate sprint, Van Aert, wearing the red leader's jersey for the first time, managed to beat Groves, putting him virtually in the lead for the green points classification.
All escapees were caught with twenty kilometers to go, and the peloton regrouped for the mass sprint. In the challenging final kilometres, Victor Campenaerts launched an attack but was reeled in at the start of the last kilometre.
Edward Planckaert initiated the sprint for his teammate Groves, but Van Aert launched a powerful long-range sprint from Groves' wheel to claim his first victory since his serious crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen. He celebrated with his signature albatross gesture. "It was worth it to stay patient. It's been a while since I could raise my hands. This feels so good," Van Aert commented. This win marks Van Aert's third victory of the season, following his successes in the Tour of the Algarve (2.Pro) and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (1.Pro).
Tuesday's fourth stage, starting in Plasencia, concludes after 167 kilometres at the summit of Pico Pitolero. This first-category climb is 13.8 kilometres long, with an average gradient of seven per cent, increasing to ten per cent in the final four kilometres on rough roads, with peaks of up to twenty per cent. The stage also features a second-category climb, a first-category climb, and a third-category climb. Van Aert acknowledges that his chances of retaining the red leader's jersey at this stage are slim.
Wout van Aert in the leader's red jersey crossing the stage 3 finish line of the Vuelta a España, 19 August 2024
© PHOTO IMAGO
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