Matthew Brennan made history in the seventeenth stage of the Vuelta a España with his fifth victory. As a result, Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s tally rises to seven wins. Never before has the team recorded so many victories in a single Grand Tour.
“Another fantastic victory. We’re making history today”, Brennan beams after the finish. With its seventh stage victory in the Vuelta a España, Team Visma | Lease a Bike has broken their own record set at the 2022 Tour de France and 2026 Giro d’Italia, both of which yielded six victories. “We came here as a team to win stages, but we never dreamed of winning seven. Today, we had another opportunity to win and we grabbed it with both hands. That’s really special.”
All eyes were already on Brennan before the start. Wednesday’s 181-kilometer stage was considered the flattest of this Vuelta a España. Two attackers went clear early on and built up a sizeable lead, but they never appeared to pose a serious threat to the sprint trains. Once Enzo Paleni, the last remaining breakaway rider, was caught on the streets of Seville, it was time for Wout van Aert and Brennan. The Belgian moved his sprinter into a good position by joining the Team Uno-X Mobility train, after which Brennan finished the job in impressive fashion.
The 21-year-old Brit is now the youngest rider ever to win five stages in a single Vuelta a España. “I’m incredibly grateful to the team for that. Wout was constantly by my side in the final and really guided me through it. Five stage victories in my first Grand Tour, it’s absolutely incredible. To be honest, I still can’t believe it. This is a real team effort”, Brennan says.
“Today, my main task was to position Matthew well. I’m happy he finished it off”, Van Aert explains. The Belgian, who has also claimed two stage victories himself, could hardly contain his delight at the team’s new record of seven wins. “The atmosphere in the team is incredible. It’s a great feeling to see everyone give one hundred percent to win stages. That’s hugely motivating. This is a very special milestone for the whole team.”
Stage 17
- Matthew Brennan (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) 4h07’15”
- Jordi Meeus (Red Bull – Bora – hansgrohe) +0’00”
- Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) +0’00”
GC
- Enric Mas (Movistar Team) 60h09’44”
- Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) +02’06”
- Primoz Roglic (Red Bull- Bora – hansgrohe) +02’10”
