“I can be proud of myself”: Alessandro Romele savours breakthrough Vuelta result after finishing second to Van Aert
CyclingMonday, 07 September 2026 at 06:00
Alessandro Romele came closer than ever to the biggest victory of his young professional career on Sunday, finishing second behind Wout van Aert on stage 15 of the Vuelta a España. The XDS Astana Team rider was part of the five-man group that survived the late attacks in Córdoba, but ultimately had no answer to the Belgian's finishing speed.
The 23-year-old Lombard is racing his first Grand Tour and has already produced a string of impressive performances in Spain. Before Sunday's runner-up finish, he had placed fourth, fifth and eighth on stages, establishing himself as one of the most consistent young riders in the race.
The circumstances made the result even more significant. Stage 15 had been shortened dramatically because of extreme heat, but the reduced distance did not make the racing any easier. The peloton raced aggressively from the start before the decisive selection was made, eventually leaving Romele alongside Van Aert, Thibau Nys, Ramses Debruyne and Andreas Leknessund to fight for victory.
Finishing second to a rider of Van Aert's calibre was therefore something Romele could take considerable satisfaction from, even if his first professional victory remains elusive. “I can be proud of myself,” Romele said after the finish. “Finishing second behind Wout van Aert is something I could only have dreamed of a year ago.”
Van Aert won stage 15 of the Vuelta a España 2026
Romele survives a brutal day in the heat
The Italian admitted that the intensity of the stage made his result even more difficult to achieve. Despite being reduced to just 110.2 kilometres after almost 80 kilometres were removed from the original route because of the extreme temperatures, the stage was raced at an extraordinary pace.
“It was a very tough stage, considering the high temperatures and the calibre of the riders I faced. We rode at a crazy pace, especially considering it's the end of the second week of a Grand Tour,” Romele explained.
The fight for the breakaway had started almost immediately, while Team Visma | Lease a Bike eventually took control on the Puerto Artafi. Their pace-setting shattered the peloton and helped create the conditions for the small group that would eventually decide the stage.
Romele had to be alert when the opportunity presented itself. After Van Aert accelerated following the intermediate sprint, the Italian managed to follow the Belgian and join the riders ahead. The five-man group then quickly established a decisive advantage over the chasers.
“We knew from the start that it would be a tough stage and that there would be a lot of fighting from the first kilometre to the finish,” Romele said. “At the intermediate finish line, I tried to get ahead of Wout, and we realised it was a good time to go after those ahead. Then we did a sort of team time trial.”
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Van Aert proves too strong in the finale
The XDS Astana rider's strategy was straightforward: remain attached to the strongest rider in the group and hope that he could find a way to surprise him in the sprint. “In the finale, I tried to play my cards by holding onto Van Aert's wheel, but he was the strongest,” Romele admitted.
The Italian still believed he might have a chance if Van Aert committed early to the sprint. Romele waited for his opportunity, hoping that fatigue could level the playing field after such an aggressive stage. “I tried, hoping perhaps for a slightly long sprint from Van Aert,” he said.
That scenario never materialised. Van Aert timed his effort perfectly, while Romele found himself running out of energy in the closing metres. “But in the last 50 metres, I had no energy left, I had to sit back, and yesterday's breakaway probably also had an impact. But, precisely for this, I can be really proud of myself,” he explained.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- If security and health were a problem, then yesterday should have been canceled altogether. It was 36° in Villaviciosa yesterday but 41° in Córdoba city where the race finished. As I stated where most of the race took place was on long narrow country roads with deep ditches and slopes on either side. No where to park a car or stand safely and watch. As for living somewhere else?To have cycling on my doorstep? Thank you. I also have a chalet in Alpe d'Huez, which I use in the winter mainly for skiing. But was extremely fortunate to watch Tadej Pogaćar's record breaking ascent on July 24th.RolandDekker07-09-2026
- Correction: 63000 swiss = $77,891 or 67.035 euros.PogiSloFans07-09-2026
- Janja Garnbret a year ago about Pogačar: "Tadej is considered the best cyclist in the world because of his rare combination of unmatched physical endurance, explosive power, and an all-around racing style that lets him win almost any type of event. He also has exceptional tactical intelligence and racecraft. A few months ago he said to me: In my view, cycling intelligence is simple... keep control, play smart, avoid overthinking, and ensure you have the best legs on the day."PogiSloFans07-09-2026
- Seixas, instead of doing the tdf and riding round, should've done this and he'd have won it
leedorney07-09-2026 - Haven’t seen many crowds lately and sorry but temperatures are certainly above average with 45.7 yesterday. Every degree starts to count above 36, 37 and each is a lot worse than the previous one. Security and health should definitely trump fans, especially for a free event. Should consider moving to a different part of the world if you live for cycling coming to your doorstep.Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- Didn’t want but did and the opposite in the Vuelta, someone might have to start reviewing strategies.Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- Hopefully with these kind of experiences, more people will start to think a bit deeper about all the exploited that have to work all day almost day in worse heat with no-one to feed or hydrate them. The deaths in the name of being on time for hosting mega sport events didn’t register on people’s consciousness very long, if at all. Is it a coincidence there’s quite a few connections between some of the sponsors in cycling and those events. Makes you wonder how much they’d be willing to pay to start a summer cycling league for has been cyclists, or is that only interesting with football?Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- There is no right or wrong. Different strokes. He at least knows it because he allows eaxh to answer for themselves, is that what cycling wants? Obviously quite a few do because that’s how it is. Now, I’m not saying he doesn’t have a point but if you’re going to go down a path like that then how far are you willing to go? Will you also reconsider the financial inequalities and other problems precarious teams have to deal with, or the pressures they are under to survive, something none of the top tier teams really have to think about when planning a season?Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- The number of participants is limited anyway. Before asking others to join the big races he should also be explaining who they should then be replacing who are taking part.Jumpyjohn06-09-2026
- An absolutely perfectly played out win by van Aert. The rest couldn’t attack him in any successful way and he was just that much stronger. It’s nice to see him back after that terrible 2024 crash. As fun as ever to watchRidesHills06-09-2026
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