And so, after Brennan's hat-trick, today at the Vuelta was the day of triumph for Wout Van Aert. The Flemish champion dominated the thirteenth stage of the Vuelta thanks to exceptional teamwork from Visma-Lease a Bike. After a long initial phase characterized by numerous attacks, a breakaway formed with three riders from the Dutch team: Van Aert, Brennan and Armirail. The well-orchestrated strategy allowed Van Aert to seal the action at the finish line in Loja.

"The way we raced today as a team was masterful – explains Van Aert, 31 years old, his fourth stage win at the Vuelta in his career, which joins his victory at Siena at the Giro and his 10 stages at the Tour -. Bruno (Armirail, ed.) and I managed to stay covered for most of the stage thanks to Brennan in the breakaway group. It's never easy when you have multiple riders up front. With Matthew and me there, our opponents didn't want to pull, so attacking was our best defense".

The winner of Paris-Roubaix emphasizes once again the importance of teamwork: "We are not afraid to sacrifice ourselves for one another. We kept attacking and in the end it worked".

In the final, Brennan was decisive in protecting Van Aert's position and thus repaying the work that Wout had done at this Vuelta to launch him towards his three sprint victories. Van Aert explains: "3.6 kilometers from the finish I attacked, a powerful move. Only Valentin Paret-Peintre followed me. A planned attack: when I studied the stage profile, I had noticed that final climb towards the finish line".

Van Aert's emotion is palpable, especially when he shared an embrace with Brennan after the victory: "A special hug. When I hear what he says about me, I get goosebumps".

For his part, Brennan adds: "Being able to do that work for Wout today gives me even greater satisfaction than a victory. Wout is a fantastic person and works hard; he's a true superstar".

Van Aert then reiterates the importance of team support and family: "I just spoke on the phone with my boys and with Sarah. It's exactly the support I need to be able to deliver this kind of performance. I really wanted to win a stage, but I didn't put pressure on myself. This was our main objective".
Three weeks away from the World Championships in Montreal, which has a perfect course for his characteristics, Van Aert has not only demonstrated his abilities, but has also consolidated the strength of Visma. A powerful injection of confidence towards the next objectives.