Team LottoNL-Jumbo was emphatically present in the sixth stage of the Vuelta a España. The race was characterized by the escape of a large group. George Bennett and Daan Olivier were part of the breakaway. Olivier lasted until the final climb. Therefore the 24-year-old rider was part of the front of the race almost all day.

The most exciting part of the race was the last climb. Not only did the escapees get caught, the favourites also fought out a battle. That wasn’t what Steven Kruijswijk had hoped for. He'd hoped it would be a stage in which he could recover from his cold. Due to the high pace that was out of the question, especially when the finish came in sight.

"It exploded on the Puerto del Garbi all the way. The group broke just before me. At that moment we had thirty kilometres to go to the finish, which was far. I tried to limit the damage. I keep racing one day at the time. That cold will eventually go away. Then the good legs will come back."

Race director Addy Engels noticed that Kruijswijk is good, but that his maximum effort is still lacking. "The last few kilometers he raced at the head of the chasing group. Only on short steep pieces he is not alright yet. Eventually he gave in seventeen seconds to Froome. By doing so, he limited the damage."