The Irish sprinter Sam Bennett, riding for Bora–Hansgrohe, asserted his power in the third stage of La Vuelta a España, sprinting to victory on Dutch soil. The 193.2-kilometer route culminated in a flat finish in Breda, marking Bennett’s second consecutive stage win of the race. Edoardo Affini, holding the red jersey for Jumbo-Visma, remained in control of the overall classification as the stage concluded.
With this win, Bennett now has ten Grand Tour triumphs in his professional career. The late-race surge demonstrated his continued development and consistency, echoing a performance pattern that has already earned him similar success in previous editions of the race in Utrecht. The Irish rider’s blistering final kilometers secured the sprint attention and confirmed a second straight day of podium glory for him.
Denmark’s Mads Pedersen, the world road race champion in 2019, came home in second place, a few bike lengths ahead of Britain’s Daniel McLay of Arkéa–Samsic, who completed the podium. The sprint chase highlighted the depth of the field and the tight competition for stage honors in a tense finale.
Primož Roglič, a three-time winner in the race, entered the stage as a formidable general classification contender. His presence added strategic intrigue as teams weighed their plans against a rolling route and a finish that favored a quick lineup. Roglič’s role as a protector and relief rider for his team’s GC hopes kept the race dynamics sharp, even as the leading group began to loosen in the closing kilometers. Meanwhile, Mike Teunissen led his squad from the front, guiding the peloton and maintaining the red jersey’s integrity as the road narrowed with 3 kilometers to go.
The Dutch squad continued to hold a dominant position at the top of the GC standings, a testament to their early-stage team time trial victory that helped create a favorable gap. Six riders from the team remained among the leaders, keeping their hopes high as the race moved into the second half with confidence and momentum.
The stage also featured a high-intensity breakaway of seven riders, whose effort spurred a fast-paced peloton that kept the overall tempo elevated. The route presented continual wind and a demanding profile, demanding smart pacing and a clear understanding among the breakaway companions of how to work together under pressure.
Strategic climbs along the route offered opportunities for mountain points, with Rijndijkstraat the fourth-category ascent seen as a turning point about midway through the stage. In the climb’s aftermath, De Gendt of Lotto Soudal and Van den Berg of EF Education-EasyPost vied for the points position, highlighting the race’s shifting balance between sprint specialists and opportunists aiming for early KOM rewards. The result reinforced how the early-season form and stage planning can influence a Grand Tour story by the end of the day.
As the breakaway was reeled back in, the stage concluded with a renewed sprint duel. The pursuit of victory intensified, and the field reorganized for a final burst to the line. In a late-rinish rally, it became clear that the sprint would decide the stage, with Bennett once again delivering a decisive finish that underscored his sprinting prowess on this edition of the race.
Injuries and misfortune did cast a shadow on the day. Itamar Einhorn and Michael Woods of Israel-Premier Tech both experienced crashes, and Woods ultimately had to abandon the race. Their exits removed two strong riders from the GC conversation and highlighted the unpredictable nature of high-stakes sprint stage racing.
Looking ahead, La Vuelta heads into its first rest day on Monday as the riders travel from the Netherlands back toward Spain. The peloton will pause to recover before resuming competition on Tuesday with a mid-mountain stage spanning 152.5 kilometers from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia, a route expected to test climbers and contenders alike as the race progresses toward its decisive phases.