Wout van Aert of Visma | Lease a Bike won the 13th stage of La Vuelta 2026 on Friday. The stage took place in Andalusia, a region in southern Spain known for its hot climate, and featured challenging terrain that favored aggressive riding styles. Many cyclists tried to break away from the main group, or peloton, to gain an advantage. Van Aert and his teammate Matthew Brennan were among the leaders in these breakaway attempts. Seventh in the overall standings, Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek was part of a group chasing the breakaway riders. His position prompted some teams to push harder at the front of the peloton to maintain their positions. After the final climb of the day, nine riders, including Van Aert and Brennan, broke away from the main group. With 3.5 kilometers remaining to the finish in Loja, Van Aert launched a powerful attack on an uphill false flat—a section that appears to be a climb but is actually flat. Only Valentin Paret-Peintre was able to keep up with him. The two riders created a gap and contested the stage victory in a sprint. Van Aert won the sprint, securing his first stage victory of the Vuelta 2026. He finished ahead of Paret-Peintre and his teammate Matthew Brennan, who completed the podium. Enric Mas of Movistar Team kept the red jersey, which signifies the leader of the overall race. This victory marks Van Aert's fourth stage win on the Tour of Spain, also known as La Vuelta. Paret-Peintre finished in second place. The results of the 13th stage are available on FirstCycling.com.