Daniel Martínez quotes "great legs" into surprise sprint win in Itzulia

Daniel Martínez is having a strong season and has today gathered his second win of the season, the first on a road race though. At the Itzulia Basque Country he came as a favourite for the overall classification, however despite the tough racing so far, it was in a sprint that he's managed to take time on his rivals.

"We had G in the front all day which helped us and obviously I tried to attack on the last climb. But because the group was still there and so big behind, I saved a little bit for the sprint," Martínez said after the finish. Although the Colombian made a move in the steepest part of the final climb to Vivero, no big gaps were kept as Jumbo-Visma controlled the race.

"There was a lot of strong riders in the group today. I had great legs. I knew the finish had a little bit of a drag and with 200m to go I felt a stall and I thought: ‘Just go.’ Martínez looked to save his legs for the sprint, and managed to surprise as he took to the front early in order to surprise, and his plan worked perfectly as he went on to narrowly take the win over the World champion Julian Alaphilippe.

"We have been showing that whole team is a strong group. There are still very difficult days to come and with Adam and myself, we are in a great position," Martínez concluded. The GC remains a main goal for INEOS, but with a stage win in the bag the pressure won't be as high.