Sergio Higuita "pleased with my ride" as he came close to Vuelta a Espana win

This was a disappointing Vuelta a Espana for Sergio Higuita who came in as one of the favourites for the overall classification following his strong season and focus on the race, and it was closed to being turned around yesterday as the Colombian was not far from the win.

"It was a really hard day today, but we knew it wouldn't be easy. There were some pretty strong riders in the break, so it was a good group, and I was pleased to have made it into that group. When Meintjes attacked, I tried to follow him along with Carapaz," the BORA - hansgrohe rider said after the stage. He got himself in the winning breakaway and showed better legs than he had throughout the rest of the race, where a crash affected him, but in addition the first week did not go according to plan as he dropped out of GC contention.

As he rode alongside Richard Carapaz towards the summit of the Puerto de Cotos yesterday, a victory seemed very possible. "I stayed with him on the final climb, and we worked together to build up our advantage. When he attacked, I again tried to follow, but he was just too strong," he added. Higuita lost contact almost in sight of the summit, saying goodbye to the stage win.

He was shortly after caught by the GC group. "When the GC group caught up, I tried to support Jai to get a good result in the sprint and also to maintain his top 10 in the GC. Honestly, I felt good today, compared to previous days at this Vuelta, so that is a good sign, and I'm pleased with my ride," he concluded. Higuita may be carrying his form into the final weeks of the season where several races suit his skillset, but it has been a very mixed race for the 25-year old.