Wout van Aert wins Vuelta stage 13 in Loja sprint as Enric Mas retains red jersey

Van Aert secures breakaway victory in Loja

Wout van Aert won the 13th stage of the 2026 Vuelta a España on Friday, defeating Frenchman Valentin Paret-Peintre in a two-man sprint finish in Loja. The 192.8-kilometre route from Almuñécar across Andalusia was run in temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius. Van Aert, riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, launched his decisive acceleration with 3.6 kilometres remaining on rolling terrain. Paret-Peintre, racing for Soudal Quick-Step, was the only rider capable of matching the move before Van Aert sprinted clear on the finishing straight to post a winning time of 4:34:00. Matthew Brennan finished third, crossing the line 24 seconds behind his Belgian teammate alongside Vincenzo Albanese and Jarno Widar.

Race tactics and green jersey standings

The stage opened with aggressive racing on the first climb of the day, the 14.1-kilometre La Venta de la Cebada with an average gradient of 5.1%, where an initial group of around 40 riders went clear. Van Aert claimed maximum points over the summit before a reduced group of 10 riders established an advantage of nearly two minutes. Brennan disrupted the cooperation in the leading group, allowing a chase group containing Van Aert and Widar to reduce the deficit to 30 seconds at the base of the final climb, the Puerto de Granada. A nine-rider group formed for the final 38 kilometres, including Finn Fisher-Black, Kevin Vermaerke, Léo Bisiaux, and Jonas Dalby, alongside Van Aert, Brennan, Widar, Albanese, and Paret-Peintre. Van Aert's stage victory extended his lead in the points classification to 65 points over Brennan, with previous rival Mads Pedersen having abandoned the race earlier in the week.

General classification gaps and Mühlberger crash

Race leader Enric Mas finished three minutes behind the stage winner within the main peloton, successfully defending the red jersey he took after Tadej Pogačar withdrew earlier in the race. Mas maintains a lead of one minute and 45 seconds over four-time Vuelta champion Primož Roglič, with Felix Gall in third place at two minutes and six seconds back. Mattias Skjelmose attacked from the peloton to finish two minutes and 10 seconds ahead of the main contenders, solidifying seventh place overall. Third-placed Gall faced a tactical setback when his key mountain domestique, Gregor Mühlberger, crashed heavily on a hairpin turn near the start of the stage and withdrew from the competition. Mühlberger had started Friday ranked ninth in the general classification.

Mountain test ahead at Sierra de la Pandera

The peloton turns to stage 14 on Saturday, covering 154.5 kilometres from Jaén to the summit finish at Sierra de la Pandera. The final climb extends 11.8 kilometres at an average gradient of 7.5%, featuring severe ramps reaching up to 17% in the steepest sections. With Mas defending his advantage and several contenders seeking time, the first-category summit is positioned to test the upper ranks of the overall standings.