“We have made the mistake before of wanting it too badly for Wout" - Visma learn from old mistakes in van Aert Vuelta masterclass
Cycling
Visma | Lease a Bike learned from their mistakes of old to pull off a Vuelta a Espana masterclass on Friday as Wout van Aert took a sensational stage victory. With Visma enjoying a dominant race so far, Matthew Brennan and Van Aert were part of the winning breakaway of the day.
With their two fast men in the break, alongside Bruno Armirail, 43 riders were initially up the road before the attackers split, taking Brennan with them as van Aert missed the split. However, Visma didn't panic as the Belgian eventually bridged across to the front of the race.
With ten kilometers to go, Brennan and Van Aert found themselves part of a nine-rider breakaway as they assessed their options to put their best foot forward.
Visma sports director Maarten Wynants admitted that the race situation led to an ideal scenario with a numerical advantage in a reduced group following van Aert's move.
Wout van Aert sprints to victory
Visma create ideal situation
“If you could write the ideal scenario in advance, it would look very similar to this,” Wynants told Sporza.
“It would also have been a good situation if Matthew had stayed out front. We wanted to create a numerical advantage and we were not sure it would work with Matthew because he had indicated that he was not feeling 100 percent. Then Wout was able to bridge across with the stronger climbers.”
However, numerical advantage wouldn't signal certain victory, and Visma have all too painful memories of not getting over the line with both numerical advantage and their full focus on Van Aert.
“We had the advantage in numbers almost all the time. That was really nice to see.
“We have made the mistake before of wanting it too badly for Wout and immediately taking control of the race. Sometimes we learn from our mistakes too.”
Van Aert makes move inside final 4 kilometers
With just under 4 kilometers to go, the Belgian made his move and attacked. Only Valentin Paret-Peintre was able to follow and then launched his sprint with 300 meters to go as Van Aert rounded the Frenchman to surge to victory.
For Visma, having both Van Aert and Brennan in-form has offered a 'synergy', helping them to multiple stage wins at the race.
“He has found a very high level. He was extremely motivated after missing the Tour. When Wout is fit and fully focused on his preparation, this is what you can get.
“There is a real synergy between them. They understand each other and they are prepared to give each other opportunities. When that happens, you can create something special.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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