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Marco Brenner will not, in principle, be focusing on the general classification in the Vuelta a España. The 24-year-old German won the Tour of Poland in August riding for Tudor and is therefore in top form. However, the Swiss team is primarily aiming for stage wins in the Vuelta a España, as In de Leiderstrui learned in a conversation with Brenner. We had ranked Brenner 10th on our list of favorites for the young rider classification in the Vuelta, and based on what the climber has said, that doesn’t seem like a far-fetched ranking. “Do I feel like a different rider after winning the overall title in Poland? Not necessarily, haha. It was certainly special, though—for me and the team. I’ve gotten a lot of messages, and I’ll remember it for a long time.” Still, Brenner’s overall victory in Poland was more of a confirmation than a surprise. “It was a new experience for me—actually racing for a specific goal. There were four tough days in a row, and I delivered every single day. That made it exciting, but it also means I can head into the Vuelta with less stress. For the first time, everything went perfectly leading up to a Grand Tour.” Read more below the photo Brenner proves himself as a stage racer According to Brenner, who recently extended his contract with Tudor through the end of 2030, everything has actually been going smoothly since the winter. “I had a good winter and was in top form right away at the Tour Down Under (fourth place, ed.). That was a relief in a way, because it showed that with good preparation, I can compete in major races. Looking ahead, I now know I can compete in week-long stage races.” "I still have to find my footing in the Grand Tours," said the German, in response to our question about whether it might be too early to rule out a general classification finish—especially if he’s really in good form. "After the German National Championships, I spent two weeks training at altitude; it was a lot of fun with a great group. It was my best altitude training camp so far. After that, I headed to Poland." Read more below the photo Brenner and Tudor going for Stages at the Vuelta a España It confirmed to Brenner that he can build up incredible legs, provided nothing goes wrong. That gives him peace of mind, especially since he doesn’t have to fight tooth and nail for a spot in the general classification at the Vuelta for three weeks. Tudor would rather see him pick his days and win stages. “As a team, we’re going for stage wins. There won’t be many opportunities in the first week, but after that, I hope to be able to test myself.” "I'm in good shape, but that doesn't mean I'm going to win five stages right off the bat," laughed the climber, who acknowledges that his decision not to compete for the general classification isn't set in stone. The Vuelta a España route already presents the general classification contenders with several key days to watch out for in the first week. So we’ll know soon enough whether Brenner is really just going for stage wins... "It’s possible that after the first week we’ll assess the situation and change our approach, if I’m still in good shape. But that also depends on the team management. I’ll lose some time in Saturday’s time trial anyway, but that shouldn’t be the case in Stage 2. The team management will decide whether I’ll lose time at any point or if I’m allowed to try to stay with the pack. Winning stages remains the priority.”