“I exploded a little bit” - Wout van Aert has no regrets after all-or-nothing Vuelta time trial leaves him fifth
Cycling
Wout van Aert was left with no regrets after an aggressive pacing strategy ended with fifth place in the Stage 18 individual time trial at the 2026 Vuelta a Espana.
The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider started quickly, caught minute man Reuben Thompson during the opening section and remained close to the leading pace for more than two-thirds of the 32.1km course.
His challenge faded towards Jerez de la Frontera, leaving him 19 seconds behind stage winner Stefan Kung.
“I have to be happy with this top five; I have no regrets,” Van Aert reflected afterwards. “I knew I needed to start fast to go for the stage win, and in the last bit I exploded a little bit.”
Fast start ends in late fade
Van Aert was six seconds away from the fastest time at the opening checkpoint and trailed Kung by seven seconds after 22.1km. He then conceded another 12 seconds over the final part of the course. “I knew already, on feelings, that I was slowing down too much to win the stage,” he admitted. “But it was nice to try it.”
Kung completed the course in 35:22, beating surprise runner-up Callum Thornley by just over two seconds. Joao Almeida finished third, with Primoz Roglic edging Van Aert out of fourth place by less than a second.
The result ended Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s sequence of three consecutive stage victories. Van Aert had won in Cordoba before delivering Matthew Brennan to successive sprint triumphs in La Rabida and Seville.
Visma therefore remained on seven victories at this Vuelta, already a new team record for a single Grand Tour. Van Aert has contributed two stage wins alongside Brennan’s five.
Green jersey advantage changes the final days
Fifth place earned Van Aert another 11 points and increased his total in the green jersey competition to 306. Brennan remains his nearest challenger with 239, leaving the classification firmly under Visma’s control.
Van Aert admitted that he had not realised before the time trial that a top-nine finish would leave the jersey all but secured for his team. “I didn’t know,” said the Belgian. “I knew Matthew was already the only one still really close. It’s super cool now to go with that bonus into the last stages.”
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With the points classification in such a strong position, Van Aert intends to support Sepp Kuss and Jorgen Nordhagen across the remaining climbing stages.
“It’s nice to be able to focus mainly on Sepp and Jorgen, who may have a chance for a stage win in the coming days,” he explained. “And I have my eyes on Sunday.”
Van Aert will enter the final three stages 67 points ahead of Brennan and 135 clear of Alessandro Romele, the highest-placed rider from another team.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
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santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
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