The Madrid stage is normally a parade that ends in a sprint festival. If the Slovenian gets through the day well, he wins the first grand tour of his career. It would also be the first grand tour win for Team Jumbo-Visma since the Rabobank era.

"It was a tough day in the mountains," the relieved classification leader said. “Today, like the last few days, we have shown that we are a strong team. From the start we were well positioned and sharp. Everyone did an excellent job. In the end I felt good enough to stay with the best. There is one more day to go, but fortunately there are no mountains in tomorrow’s stage!”

“After the Giro, it was not difficult to motivate myself for this race. I want to compete for the win in every race I start. I have prepared as well as possible for this Vuelta. It has been three tough weeks and I am glad it’s coming to an end. There was not one key moment this Vuelta, but there were several. Something happened in every stage, even in the relatively flat stages. Tomorrow I have to cross the line in Madrid and then it'll be time to enjoy it."