Evenepoel thinks long-term after first hilly stage: "The most important thing is that I didn't lose any extra seconds"

Remco Evenepoel has thrived over the spring in some hilly races, but coming into the Vuelta a Espana he trained specifically for the long days in the mountains. Hence, it didn't come as a surprise to see the Belgian outside of the fight for the stage victory.

Evenepoel finished eighth in the day, arriving inside the split that has seen seven seconds of difference between some of the overall classification contenders. “No, I don't value that. I would rather have taken some bonuses too, but you can't take everything in life," Evenepoel told reporters after the finish in Laguardia. "The most important thing is that I didn't lose any extra seconds".

Whilst Julian Alaphilippe made an acceleration near the summit of the penultimate climb, the team tried to surprise in the descent. Everything was to play for in the final hilltop however. Evenepoel was away from the wind, and arrived safely in the bunch - gaining some seconds on several rivals. “Ça va. A kilometer uphill is very intensive and specific. It's something I haven't trained for in a long time, but I had to be with it and not lose any time," he explained.

“I think there is a hole behind me. And that is the danger of these arrivals if things go very fast. But the mission was successful," he said. "We wanted to try and win with Julian Alaphilippe, but if you don't have the legs… It was very hot at the end and the whole day was very fast. That didn't make it an easy day. With a view to tomorrow and Thursday, that will still weigh on," the Belgian concluded. He now sits in sixth place in the overall classification, into the first true climbing test of the race.