"We only have a few chances and we have to make the most of them" - Dries Van Gestel fights his way to third on stage 5 of the Vuelta a Espana

In a chaotic finale to stage 5 of the 2023 Vuelta a Espana, Dries Van Gestel fought and battled his way through the pack to finish a close third behind Kaden Groves and Filippo Ganna.

"Two more places better, then I'm really satisfied," he said with a smile in his post-stage interview with Eurosport, immediately following the conclusion of the day's action. "The team has a lot of confidence in me and I can do my sprint. We only have a few chances and we have to make the most of them."

For the second straight day, Kaden Groves was the superior fast-man, powering his way to victory ahead of Ganna and Van Gestel. “It was difficult to stay ahead in the hectic pace. However, it went well and a third place is not bad," says the TotalEnergies sprinter, who at one point had to forcibly move Edward Theuns out the way. "I have my way of sliding through a peloton."

"I saw Ganna sitting there. He was all alone. He did a really good sprint," Van Gestel concludes. "On a finish like today - six hundred meters straight - there are not many riders who can pedal as many wattages as Ganna."