Vuelta a España | Stage 13 Report: Wout van Aert Wins from the Breakaway as Enric Mas Defends the Red Jersey

On September 4, the 2026 Vuelta a España completed Stage 13 with a thrilling battle from Almuñécar to Loja. Riders faced a challenging 192.8-kilometre route through the province of Granada, featuring more than 3,400 metres of elevation gain and three categorized climbs. The demanding terrain and scorching conditions created the perfect scenario for a successful breakaway. 
In the end, Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) delivered a masterful performance from the breakaway group. The Belgian star launched a decisive attack with around 3.5 kilometres remaining, breaking away with Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) before beating him in a two-man sprint to claim the stage victory.
This marked Van Aert’s first stage win at the 2026 Vuelta a España and his fourth career Grand Tour stage victory in Spain, following his three wins during the 2024 edition. 

A Massive Breakaway Group Shapes the Race
The battle for the breakaway began immediately after the start, with riders aggressively fighting for a place in the front group.
The first major climb of the day, Venta de la Cebada (Category 1), quickly split the peloton. Eventually, a large breakaway group of more than 40 riders successfully moved clear, including several strong names such as Wout van Aert, his teammate Matthew Brennan, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) and Valentin Paret-Peintre.
The large size of the breakaway created complicated tactical situations. Several riders inside the group were still close enough in the general classification to pose a threat, forcing the teams of the overall contenders to carefully control the time gap.
Among them, Mattias Skjelmose was one of the biggest concerns for the GC teams. Starting the day seventh overall, his presence in the breakaway forced Movistar Team and other rivals to increase the pace behind.

Visma | Lease a Bike Executes a Perfect Team Strategy
As the race entered its second half, the breakaway group gradually split apart.
During the climbs and technical sections leading toward the final ascent of Puerto de Granada, attacks continued to reshape the race. Visma | Lease a Bike showed excellent tactical awareness by placing multiple riders in the front group.
With both Wout van Aert and Matthew Brennan present, the team had two strong options for the finale. Brennan had already achieved three stage victories in this year’s Vuelta, while Van Aert brought his experience, climbing ability, and explosive finishing speed.
The Belgian team used this advantage perfectly. Brennan and Van Aert were able to alternate between attacking and supporting each other, putting pressure on their rivals throughout the decisive kilometres. 

Van Aert’s Decisive Attack Inside the Final 3.5 Kilometres
The battle for victory reached its climax in the closing kilometres.
With approximately 3.5 kilometres remaining, Van Aert launched a powerful acceleration on the final approach to Loja. The attack was so explosive that only Valentin Paret-Peintre could respond.
The two riders quickly opened a gap over the chasing group, transforming the stage victory battle into a direct duel.
In the final sprint, Paret-Peintre opened the acceleration first, but Van Aert demonstrated his superior speed and strength, powering past his rival to take a memorable victory.
Matthew Brennan completed a strong team performance by finishing third, 24 seconds behind the winner. 
Stage 13 Top 10 Results

GC Battle Remains Unchanged as Enric Mas Keeps the Red Jersey
While the stage victory was decided from the breakaway, the overall classification contenders remained relatively conservative.
Enric Mas (Movistar Team) and the main GC favourites stayed together in the peloton and crossed the finish line around three minutes behind Van Aert.
Mas successfully defended the red leader’s jersey, maintaining his advantage over his closest rivals.

General Classification After Stage 13

Roglič remains Mas’ closest challenger, while riders such as Gall, Carapaz and Onley continue to look for opportunities to attack in the remaining mountain stages. 

Van Aert Strengthens His Lead in the Points Classification
Beyond the stage victory, Van Aert also strengthened his position in the points classification.
Wearing the green jersey, the Belgian rider has consistently collected points throughout the race thanks to his versatility across different terrain types. His Stage 13 victory further confirmed his dominance in the competition.
For Visma | Lease a Bike, Stage 13 was a perfect team performance:
Van Aert won the stage;
Brennan finished third;
The team controlled key moments of the breakaway;
Both riders successfully used their tactical options in the finale.
The victory highlighted Visma | Lease a Bike’s depth and strategic strength during the second half of the Vuelta.

Mühlberger Abandons After Crash
Stage 13 also brought unfortunate news for Gregor Mühlberger (Decathlon CMA CGM).
The Austrian rider crashed during the stage and was forced to abandon the race. His withdrawal affected the overall classification battle, as he had previously been positioned among the top riders in the GC standings. 
Meanwhile, Alexey Lutsenko did not start the stage, further reducing the number of riders remaining in the competition.

Stage 14 Preview: The GC Battle Returns at Sierra de la Pandera
On September 5, the 2026 Vuelta a España continues with Stage 14, a decisive mountain stage from Jaén to Sierra de la Pandera.
After a breakaway-focused Stage 13, the next stage is expected to bring the GC contenders back into the spotlight. The summit finish at Sierra de la Pandera provides a major opportunity for riders such as Roglič, Gall, Carapaz and Onley to challenge Mas’ leadership.
With the time gaps still relatively small among the favourites, every attack could significantly change the overall standings.
Stage 13 belonged to the breakaway riders. Stage 14 could once again become the battlefield for the Vuelta’s biggest contenders.
As the race enters the decisive mountain phase, the fight for the 2026 Vuelta a España title is set to intensify.