Although three brutal peaks shaped the profile of Stage 9, Wout van Aert went on the offensive early on Sunday at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. Although he scored points for the green jersey, not much ultimately came of the Belgian’s breakaway attempt.
Given the course of the day, hopes of a stage win for Van Aert were slim, and he admitted this in his post-stage interview, stressing that his role in the breakaway was more that of a potential satellite for any attacks that might come later in the day from his leader from Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Sepp Kuss.
“I tried to be in the breakaway group so that I could do something for Sepp Kuss in the final,” Van Aert explains afterwards. “I thought, why not try right from the start, and I ended up in a good group. But I wasn’t strong enough to hold out as long as I wanted, so I couldn’t do much in the final.”
The breakaway group took the spoils in the end, and Adam Yates of UAE Team Emirates took the stage win and moved back into the fight for the red jersey. “I could see two really strong teammates, especially with Yates. With Soler and Vine, you kind of knew what to expect,” Van Aert said. “They did really well as a team. Later I could hear over the radio that his lead was still super big, so it was a great move from him. A well-deserved win. Anyway (I’m looking forward to the rest day). The last two days were pretty tough in the mountains, so I’m ready for the rest day.”
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