Matthew Brennan increased his stage tally to four at the Vuelta a España by winning stage 16, strengthening his standing as the race's most prolific sprinter so far. The 21-year-old Visma Lease-a-bike rider took the verdict in Palos de la Frontera after a fast 181km stage that finished in a bunch sprint.
Brennan crossed the line ahead of Bryan Coquard and Vito Braet, stopping the clock at 03hrs 56mins 33secs, with Coquard credited the same time. Celebrating his success, Brennan held up four fingers and told reporters, "It's unbelievable, four victories here and the plan was for one." The wins all arrive in his first Grand Tour.
Stage 16 had been billed as another opportunity for the sprinters. An early five-rider breakaway gained a gap, but the peloton began closing it down with about 100km still to race. The escapees were swept back with roughly 23km left, setting up the mass sprint that decided the stage.
The overall classification remained unchanged at the front. Enric Mas retained the leader's advantage, leading Félix Gall by 2min 06secs with Primož Roglič a further four seconds adrift at +2min 10secs. Richard Carapaz sits fourth at +4min 24secs, and Oscar Onley holds fifth at +5min 44secs after stage 16.
Other notable finishes on the day included Jord Meeus in fourth and Magnus Cort in fifth, while Wout van Aert, riding for the same team as Brennan, took sixth. The result leaves the sprint field with another clear contender after Brennan's fourth win.
The race continues on Wednesday with stage 17, a 185km run from Dos Hermanas to Seville that again appears likely to finish in a sprint, offering sprinters another chance to challenge for a stage victory.
