'Second behind a monster': Romele takes career-best result behind Van Aert at Vuelta

Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana) took the best result of his career on stage 15 of the Vuelta a España, finishing second behind Wout van Aert in Córdoba after getting into the winning move at the intermediate sprint.

The stage was cut to 110.2km in distance after the organisers activated the extreme weather protocol, removing 79.5km from the middle of the route with temperatures around 40°C at the start. The reduction in distance turned the day into a fight from the flag.

Romele was third across the intermediate sprint behind Ramses Debruyne and Andreas Leknessund. When Van Aert accelerated through it and bridged to the leaders, the Italian went with him.

"I felt good this morning. I tried to anticipate at an intermediate sprint. I was well positioned at the front," Romele told Eurosport.

The five held around a minute over the chasers into the closing kilometres. Thibau Nys opened the sprint early, Van Aert came past him, and Romele took second behind a 'monster.'

"I'm very happy right now. To be second behind a monster like Van Aert, that's fantastic," he said.

It is his fifth top-ten finish of this Vuelta. His previous best stage result was on stage 5 where the Italian took fourth, but he has been there or thereabouts throughout the sprints of the 2026 Vuelta.

Romele turned 23 on the day the race climbed the Alto de Aitana. He already sees his first Vuelta as a success and but he dares to dream of more.

"Things are going really well here," he said. "You have to be able to dream big."