Wout Van Aert sprints to second Vuelta a España stage win
Wout Van Aert claimed the second Vuelta a España stage win of his career on Friday. The Belgian was first across the line in Cordoba thanks to a dominant sprint and consolidated his lead in the green jersey classification.
The seventh stage was one of the last opportunities for sprinters in this year's race. With the help of teammate Sepp Kuss, Van Aert was able to catch leader Marc Soler. In the ensuing bunch sprint, no one came close to the Belgian.
In a post-race interview, Van Aert praised his teammate: "When Sepp took the lead I was on his wheel with goosebumps. Luckily I was able to finish the job." He added that the work of Kuss, who won the Vuelta last year, was "a great example of our team philosophy".
A successful summer
The victory extends Van Aert's lead in the race for the green jersey, which is awarded to the best sprinter. It has been a successful summer for him, with a bronze medal in the Olympic time trial.
The white and blue polka dot jersey, awarded to the best climber, is also worn by a Belgian, Sylvain Moniquet. But the toughest climbs are yet to come.
Australian Ben O'Connor keeps the red leader's jersey. Lennert Van Eetvelt is the best Belgian in the general classification. He is now in seventh place, 5'32" behind O'Connor.
The Vuelta a España ends on 8 September.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO CRISTINA QUICLER / AFP
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