Evenepoel "satisfied with how things went" at Monasterio de Tentudía summit finish

Everyday is a battle for Remco Evenepoel at the Vuelta a Espana as he seems to be getting closer and closer to a much antecipated Grand Tour win. Stage 17 was another obstacle in the way, but he passed the test with a firm performance.

"The team was very good again today, they set the tempo and protected me until the climb, where Dries brought me in a good position, and all I had to do there was follow the moves," Evenepoel said in a post-race interview. "I’m satisfied with how things went, but we have a couple of more difficult days left here and we must keep the same focus."

The Belgian only had to follow the wheels of his rivals in the final ascent to Tentudía. Movistar Team set a stinging pace leading up to it, and Evenepoel had to respond to an attack of Enric Mas. Having succeeded, it was a matter of controlling the Spaniard until the finish - he ended up leading Mas into the finish.

“I expected Mas to attack, I knew he would want to see how I reacted, but I felt good, despite not being the easiest of finishes, with some steep gradients in the final part, all this after another fast and nervous stage," he described. Evenepoel will then start the 18th stage of the Vuelta with 2:01 minutes over the leader of Movistar, and after the abandon of Primoz Roglic he finds himself in a better position to win the race, with two complicated mountain stages left.