00:00Welcome to stage 11 of La Volta.
00:04After a surprise win for Bastion Tranchant yesterday, the pure sprinters should get a
00:08chance to stretch their legs in today's 11th stage.
00:11The whole day will be more straightforward, on paper at least, and the Frenchman is not
00:16expecting to double up in Lorca.
00:20The emotions were crazy.
00:22It also gave me a lot of confidence, but I'm keeping my feet on the ground.
00:26Today is more of a sprint for the specialists.
00:28I'll do my best because, obviously, now I want to win again.
00:34Even if he doesn't class himself as an out-and-out sprinter, Matthew Brennan will be one of the
00:39favourites today, after Wisma went with Watt van Aert yesterday.
00:44Yeah, he was pretty keen to go free yesterday, the course also, I would say, suit him quite
00:49nicely as well.
00:51So yeah, that was the plan that we went with.
00:53Does the course today suit you at perfection?
00:56I think it suits me nicely, yeah.
00:58I think, yeah, it's a sprint day, so we can give it a try.
01:03And yeah, with the guys we have, I think it can really work out nicely.
01:07We've already had a few unexpected winners, and a rider like Vincenzo Albanese could be
01:12one to watch, though the Italian wasn't happy with his efforts yesterday.
01:17Yeah, I'm hungry for yesterday, but, you know, it's the cycling.
01:24I was too much in the front at 2K to the goal, and then, so I take too much wind,
01:34and so it's
01:35the race.
01:36Today I have one more opportunity, and I will try in the final.
01:40Late attacks are also possible, especially with a climb in the final.
01:44And Xavier Asperen has established himself as a specialist at this Vuelta, with three
01:48attempts to surprise the sprinters.
01:51Yeah, ultimately, I think I've been lacking a bit of experience in the finals, in those
01:56battles for victory.
01:57I'm getting closer and closer.
01:59It's true that the sprint teams have me pretty well figured out by now.
02:04Today we'll just have to see.
02:06If a breakaway goes, I'll try to be in it, and if not, I'll stay with David in the final,
02:10because I'm not sure they're going to let me go on the attack again.
02:19Stage 11 is fairly short, just over 150km in the Murcia region.
02:24The coast isn't far, so the riders will have to keep an eye on the wind, and the days at
02:28Solitary Climb tops out with 32K to go.
02:31Not the toughest stage on paper, but there are no easy days at a Grand Tour.
02:41Only four men got into the breakaway today, and surprise, surprise, one of them was Sinue
02:45Fernandes.
02:46The Burgos rider going up the road for the fourth time at this Vuelta.
02:50He was joined by Alessandro Covey of JQ Alula, Ethan Hayter of Sudau Quickstep, fifth in the
02:55points classification, and Domen Novak from UAE, who are now hunting stages.
03:02They never had much of a gap though, with the sprint teams, in particular Kofidis and
03:07Visma, keeping them on a tight leash.
03:10The pace also increasing in the bunch as they entered an area of crosswinds, with Peo Bilbao
03:15pulling hard for Bahrain Victorious, and that was the end of the breakaway, with 90k still
03:20to go.
03:21The pelotons splitting into two as Tudor, Lidltrek and EF also got involved, but none
03:27of the main GC or sprint favourites were caught out.
03:30Things soon calmed down again.
03:38Well, Hayter was clearly determined to get some points at the intermediate sprint, so he
03:42went back on the attack with the former American champion, Larry Warbass.
03:46The two men opening up a small gap, around 30 seconds, but that was sufficient to get
03:51to the sprint ahead of the peloton, still being driven by Visma and Kofidis.
03:56A maximum haul for Hayter, back into the top three in the green jersey standings, and there
04:01were still some points available for the bunch.
04:24The riders heading straight onto the day's Category 3 climb, the Alto de Aledo, 9.5km at 4.2%.
04:31Time for the sprinters to hold on.
04:34Hayter and Warbass were soon caught.
04:39Pinarello Q36.5 looking to make a move on the climb, with Milan Varda teeing up Eddie Dunbar,
04:45but Van Aert was patrolling the front of the peloton for Visma, so no dice for the Irishman.
04:50The Belgian even scrapping with Santiago Buetrago for KOM points at the summit.
04:55Here he is.
04:57Now he starts to make an acceleration.
04:58He wants these three points, but so does Val Van Aert.
05:01Val Van Aert going for these three points, and is this the plan all along?
05:06Buetrago, he can't respond.
05:07Val Van Aert goes across the top.
05:09Val Van Aert taking the three points.
05:13Van Aert now fourth in the mountains classification, potentially an objective for him as well.
05:18Various others tried to get away on the run-in, but Visma was simply too strong,
05:23covering every move and taking control of the peloton, which had lost a few riders on the climb.
05:28The sprint team's getting ready for the final shootout, with a rather nasty hairpin bend inside the final kilometre.
05:35They're coming towards the Flamme Rouge, 1,000 metres to go.
05:39It's all head-to-head.
05:41NSN cycling team, they're going side-by-side with Pinarello Q36.5.
05:46Still there, UNOX Mobility, Maunus Kord looking to try and take a stage victory.
05:51Now Matthew Brennan has found his lead-out once more.
05:54He's on the wheel of Val Van Aert.
05:56Val Van Aert is now moving to the front, and we see now Maunus Kord trying to fight for the
06:01wheel.
06:02This is really the right moment for Team Visma Lisebeck to head to the front.
06:05We can see that hairpin corner coming up now.
06:07Here's the hairpin. Who's going to take it first?
06:10As there's a late break into the left-hand hairpin, as they take it a little bit wide and they
06:15lose the lead-outs.
06:17One rider is down, one rider has crashed.
06:20Val Van Aert's still there. He's got Matthew Brennan on the wheel.
06:23Hugo Offsetter still there.
06:24Brian Cocker locked on the wheel of Brennan.
06:27Cocker already a stage winner, now starting to go early.
06:31Maunus Kord, Maunus Kord, the Danish champion.
06:33Val Van Aert unleashes. Here comes Brennan. Here comes Brennan.
06:37Looking for a third stage victory in the Vuelta. A late charge.
06:40Jordy Maunus there, but it's magnificent Matthew Brennan, who takes a third stage victory in the Vuelta.
06:50Brennan completing his hat-trick of stages at this Vuelta after Visma got everything spot-on today.
06:56The British rider ticking into double figures for the season with his tenth win, the fourth at World Tour level.
07:01He is fast-emerging as one of the most talented riders of his generation,
07:05and remember, he only turned 21 at the start of August.
07:12I'm with a team full of massive champions, you know.
07:16You've got guys who have been on podiums in Grand Tours and won them as well.
07:21And, you know, you've also got guys who have won big classics and, yeah, some huge races.
07:26And the fact that they go for me each time is an amazing opportunity.
07:30And I'm really thankful that they go full gas for me.
07:34Very good. Thank you. Appreciate it.
07:38Brennan taking a pretty comfortable win ahead of Brian Cocker, Jordy Mauss and Magnus Kort,
07:43with Van Aert fifth after his lead-out.
07:46Yesterday's winner, Bastien Trochan, came in seventh.
07:54Another quiet day for the overall contenders.
07:57Henrik Mauss still leads the race from Primoz Roglic and Felix Gall,
08:00but there could well be a shake-up tomorrow.
08:04Van Aert is running away with the green jersey competition after taking another 31 points today.
08:10He leads by 57 points from Brennan, who's back up to second after his win.
08:15The battle for polka dots will also resume tomorrow.
08:18Bua Trago, seven points clear of Mauss, followed by Lechnersund and Van Aert.
08:25And, barring any crashes or illness, Oscar Onley looks unlikely to lose his white jersey.
08:31However, anything is possible tomorrow with 4,500 metres of climbing in the Almeria province.
08:38Do join us for that on Thursday.
08:40And thanks for watching.
