"Of course I wanted to win this stage, my team did a really good job to fight for a bunch sprint, so it's unfortunate that I got second. But today I knew that finishing in the first three meant the red jersey, so after all it's a good day." Van Aert expressed mixed feelings about his performance after securing the red jersey, acknowledging the team's efforts despite not winning the stage.
"This week was my best chance to take the red, and there are lots of opportunities further on for stages. I've already tried twice for a stage here in two days, and I will try again. It was a career goal of mine to get the Vuelta lead, and I'm very proud to be wearing it." Van Aert emphasized the significance of achieving the red jersey while also expressing his determination to pursue stage wins in the future.
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