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.
00:24But 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 for it yesterday, the course also, I would say, suited 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 2km 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, and Xavier Asperen
01:45has established himself as a specialist at this Vuelta with three attempts to surprise
01:50the 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,
02:11because 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 32km 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 Sinui
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 went
03:42back 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.
04:03Behind, there are still 15 points on offer, Wout van Aert is there in that green jersey,
04:09locked right on his wheel is Brian Cocker, coming from a long way back is Alessandro Rommeli
04:14in this turquoise jersey.
04:16Wout van Aert takes the 15 points, Cocker with the 13, Rommeli takes the 10.
04:24The riders heading straight onto the day's Category 3 climb, the Alto de Aledo, 9.5km at 4.2%.
04:32Time 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
04:44Dunbar.
04:44But van Aert was patrolling the front of the peloton for Visma, so no dice for the Irishman.
04:50The Belgian even scrapping with Santiago Boutrago for KOM points at the summit.
04:56Here he is.
04:57Now he starts to make an acceleration.
04:58He wants these three points, but so does Wout van Aert.
05:01Wout van Aert going for these three points.
05:03And is this the plan all along?
05:06Boutrago, he can't respond.
05:07Wout van Aert goes across the top.
05:09Wout van Aert taking the three points.
05:13Wout van Aert now fourth in the Mountain's classification, potentially an objective for
05:17him as well.
05:18Various others tried to get away on the run-in, but Visma was simply too strong, covering every
05:23move and taking control of the peloton, which had lost a few riders on the climb.
05:28The sprint team is getting ready for the final shootout, with a rather nasty hairpin bend
05:33inside the final kilometre.
05:35They're coming towards the Flamme Rouge.
05:37One thousand 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.
05:47UNOX Mobility.
05:48Maunus Court 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 Wout van Aert.
05:56Wout van Aert is now moving to the front.
05:59And we see now Maunus Court trying to fight for the wheel.
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.
06:08Here's the hairpin.
06:09Who's going to take it first?
06:10As there's a late break into the left-hand hairpin.
06:13As they take it a little bit wide and they lose the lead-out.
06:17One rider is down.
06:18One rider has crashed.
06:20Wout van Aert is still there.
06:21He's got Matthew Brennan on the wheel.
06:23Hugo Offset is still there.
06:24Brian Cocker locked on the wheel of Brennan.
06:27Cocker, already a stage winner.
06:29Now starting to go early.
06:31Maunus Court.
06:32Maunus Court, the Danish champion.
06:33Wout van Aert unleashes.
06:35Here comes Brennan.
06:36Here comes Brennan.
06:37Looking for a third stage victory in the Vuelta.
06:39A late charge.
06:40Jordi Mews there.
06:41But it's magnificent Matthew Brennan.
06:44Who takes a third stage victory in the Vuelta.
06:50Brennan completing his hat-trick of stages at this Vuelta
06:53after Visma got everything spot-on today.
06:55The British rider ticking into double figures for the season
06:58with 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.
07:13I'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,
07:25some 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.
07:35Appreciate it.
07:38Brennan taking a pretty comfortable win ahead of Brian Cocker,
07:42Jordi Mews and Magnus Court with Van Aert fifth after his lead-out.
07:46Yesterday's winner, Bastien Tranchant, came in seventh.
07:54Another quiet day for the overall contenders.
07:57Henrik Maas still leads the race from Primoz Roglic and Felix Gau,
08:00but there could well be a shake-up tomorrow.
08:05Van Aert is running away with the green jersey competition
08:07after 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 Maas, followed by Lechnesund and Van Aert.
08:25And, barring any crashes or illness, Oscar Onley looks unlikely to lose his white jersey.
08:32However, anything is possible tomorrow with 4,500 metres of climbing
08:36in the Almeria province.
08:38Do join us for that on Thursday, and thanks for watching.
