"I had nothing to lose. That’s why I took a risk and attacked early" - Felix Gall bright and attacking on final climb of stage 4 at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana

It's fair to say that Felix Gall had a somewhat lacklustre Tour de France earlier this summer, missing out on the top 10. If the first summit finish of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana is anything to go by however, the Austrian could be much more competitive in Spain.

"It was an incredibly hot day, and I have to admit, I didn’t feel great," reflected the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team rider in his post-stage interview having been an attacking protagonist on the final climb of the day that saw slopes as steep as 20% at times and saw some big gaps between the general classification contenders.

In the end, it was a 5th placed finish on the day for the 26-year-old former Tour de France stage winner, enough to move up to 6th overall in the general classification. "It wasn’t until the final climb that I started to feel like I had good legs," Gall continues, although he insists, Ben O'Connor, who lost more than a minute, remains the team leader. "He’s the team leader, I’m just the backup."

"I have a free role, so I had nothing to lose. That’s why I took a risk and attacked early, going on instinct. On a hot day, it’s hard to pace yourself, but I didn’t blow up," concludes the Austrian climber. "Maybe at the end, I watched the others a bit too much, but overall, I’m proud. I’m happy with my legs after a tough Tour."