The birth of cycling’s next great sprint combo
One of the biggest revelations to come out of the 2026 Vuelta a España so far, the partnership between van Aert and Brennan has been nothing short of electrifying.
The duo have scarfed down stage wins, with Brennan taking stages two, five, 11 and 16, and van Aert holding down the points jersey while taking stages 13 and 15.
They asserted their will over the peloton with impunity en route to Granada, evoking memories of past era-defining sprinter and lead-out duos, such as Mark Renshaw and Mark Cavendish, in only their first Grand Tour outing.
“We’ve really committed to the plan that we had,” said Brennan after his most recent victory, chalking his own success up to a team effort. “You’ve seen the boys all day today, they’ve just been pushing so much wind.
“To finish it off like that, with Wout bringing me to the line in a perfect place in such a chaotic finale, it was perfect,” he added. “I don’t really think you can compete [with Van Aert as a lead-out man].”
Having lost the steady hand of French rider Christophe Laporte earlier in the race, pundits and fans had wondered if Visma-Lease a Bike would be able to race with such dominance. In the end, his departure appears to have birthed a monster of epic proportions.
“It was a shame that we lost Christophe, but it’s still unbelievable what we can do even when we’re a man down,” Brennan mused. “I really trusted Wout and followed his wheel all the way. It’s incredible that he can bring me in such perfect position in such a chaotic race.”