Matthew Brennan wins third Vuelta a España stage in debut Grand Tour

British cyclist Matthew Brennan secured a hat-trick of stage victories at the Vuelta a España on Wednesday, winning the 11th stage in Lorca to become the first rider to win three stages in his Grand Tour debut since Tadej Pogačar in 2019. The 21-year-old sprinter, riding for Team Visma-Lease a Bike, was led out perfectly by his teammate Wout van Aert to claim his third win of the race. Brennan launched his final sprint with approximately 150 meters to go, finishing ahead of Bryan Coquard of Cofidis and Jordi Meeus of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. The victory came on a 153.8-kilometer flat stage from Cartagena to Lorca, which concluded in a bunch sprint after a day of tactical racing in the Murcia region. The stage was not without drama. Crosswinds split the peloton midway through the race, though the groups came back together after about 10 kilometers. A breakaway featuring Ethan Hayter and Larry Warbasse was also reeled in before the final climb, the Alto de Aledo. Van Aert played a crucial role not only in the final lead-out but also earlier in the day, covering attacks on the climb and during the descent to ensure the race ended in a sprint.