Van Aert wants Vuelta sprint but admits Visma might have a problem

The second week of the Vuelta begins with a difficult 184.5 kilometre stage from Alcaraz to Elche, featuring three categorised climbs and almost 2,700 metres of elevation.

Van Aert enters the stage refreshed after using Monday's rest day for some final family time.

“Yesterday was the last day my family was around, so I made the most of that,” he told Het Nieuwsblad before the start.

Now his attention turns back to the green jersey and another possible stage victory for the Dutch team.

None of Tuesday's climbs are steep enough to automatically eliminate the strongest fast men, leaving riders such as Van Aert, Mads Pedersen, Bryan Coquard and Matthew Brennan with a realistic chance if the peloton reaches Elche together.

That is exactly the scenario Van Aert would like to see.

“Our plan is to turn it into a sprint. That gives us the best chance of success,” he said.

But the points classification leader immediately identified the main complication.

“That will not be easy if we do not get any support.”

Van Aert knows that the balance between the breakaway and the peloton could shift quickly, particularly on a stage where relatively few teams have an obvious reason to spend the entire afternoon chasing.

“There is bound to be a moment when someone closes the gap, so you can never be certain,” he said.

There is another reason for Van Aert to keep the race under control. The Belgian still has the green jersey battle in mind, with plenty of points available over the remaining stages.

“There are still a lot of points up for grabs for the green jersey,” Van Aert said. “I did indeed see Tadej as my biggest rival for it.”

Visma have plenty of reasons to control the stage themselves. Van Aert is one of the strongest options for a selective sprint, while two time stage winner Brennan gives the team another route to victory if a larger group arrives together.

Christophe Laporte offers Visma another card on terrain that should suit powerful riders capable of surviving repeated climbs.

That depth means Visma do not necessarily have to commit to one sprinter from the start. A harder race could tilt the balance towards Van Aert, while a more controlled finale may favour Brennan.

Van Aert said the decision will ultimately come down to how everyone is feeling late in the stage.

“As for who will actually sprint, that depends on who feels the best,” he said.

Teammate Matthew Brennan is also uncertain how the stage will develop.

“It is a tough stage, but we have a lot of cards we can play,” the British rider told TV 2 Sport.

“We have a strong team and we have to adapt to how the stage plays out.”

Brennan has already impressed during this Vuelta with two stage victories and remains one of the obvious candidates if a sizeable peloton reaches the finish.

The stage also represents another test of his ability to recover during a three week race.

“I do not have experience riding so many days in a race and there are still 12 stages left,” Brennan said. “But it is good that there are only six days until the next rest day. I had some rest yesterday, so it has been good to kind of restart.”