
3 days · 3 summary articles
British cyclist Brennan wins fifth stage of Vuelta a España in Roquetes sprint
Pogacar wins Vuelta stage in Andorra, extends overall lead to over three minutes
Britains Matt Brennan wins first Grand Tour stage at Vuelta a España as Pogačar keeps lead
Matthew Brennan won the fifth stage of the Vuelta a España on Wednesday, securing his second victory in this year’s race with a sprint finish in Roquetes. The 21-year-old British cyclist, riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, completed the 173.3-kilometer route from Falset to Roquetes in a mass sprint, crossing the line ahead of Belgium’s Jordi Meeus and Italy’s Vincenzo Albanese .
Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia retained the overall lead, maintaining a 3-minute, 21-second advantage over his compatriot Primož Roglič in the general classification. The stage, the first held on Spanish soil in this year’s Vuelta, featured a flat finish following a route through Catalonia’s agricultural landscapes and a third-category climb at Paüls, where early breakaway attempts were neutralized .
Brennan’s victory followed his earlier win in the second stage in Manosque, France. His Visma-Lease a Bike teammates, including Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte, delivered a controlled lead-out in the final kilometers, positioning Brennan for the sprint. Meeus, riding for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, finished second, while Albanese took third .
Pogačar, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader, has dominated the race since the opening time trial, winning the first and fourth stages and extending his lead in the mountains. The fifth stage offered little change in the general classification, with Marco Brenner of Germany remaining the highest-ranked German rider in 15th place, over six minutes behind Pogačar .
The sixth stage on Thursday will cover 177.4 kilometers from Alcossebre to Castelló, featuring a first-category climb, Puerto El Bartolo, with a gravel section near the summit and a long descent to the finish .
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