Czech rider Pavel Bittner achieved a dramatic victory in stage five of the Vuelta a España on Wednesday, narrowly beating Wout van Aert in a photo finish. Van Aert, who appeared poised to secure his second stage win of the race in a sprint finish in Seville, was outpaced by the 21-year-old Bittner of DSM-Firmenich-PostNL. This win marked Bittner's first career triumph in a Grand Tour event.
Van Aert, representing Visma-Lease a Bike, retained the green points jersey despite the missed opportunity, while Australia's Kaden Groves, also aiming for his second stage win, finished third. Slovenia's Primoz Roglic, riding for Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe, maintained his overall lead after completing the stage safely within the peloton.
Wednesday's 177-kilometer stage from Fuente del Maestre to Seville was less challenging compared to the previous day’s climbs, though it remained demanding with its early undulations and intense heat. The stage was characterized by a breakaway group that eventually got caught, setting up a decisive bunch sprint through the streets of Seville.
In the final moments, Van Aert's early attack seemed sufficient, but he miscalculated his final push, allowing Bittner to seize the victory by a slim margin. The stage also saw a setback for Portugal’s Rui Costa of EF Education-EasyPost, who crashed and was forced to abandon the race. The Vuelta will resume in the mountains on Thursday, with Roglic holding an eight-second lead over Joao Almeida of UAE Team Emirates.
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