Danny van Poppel finished sixth in the Vuelta a España's 18th stage. It didn't end in the expected bunch sprint with a two-man breakaway surprising the group on the streets of Lleida.

"This is a real pity. Today, I think I was one of the strongest in the sprint when you see where I came from in the sprint," Van Poppel said. 

"I felt good, but I had to come from too far back. You also need to have a little luck and be in the front at the right time. In the end, it does not matter because the breakaway was just too strong today. 

"We will try again in Madrid in three days. I am convinced that one day it will happen and I can raise my hands. "

Sports Director Addy Engels did not look at it as a loss for his Dutch sprinter. 

"If Danny had placed third then it would be a different story," Engels said. "He finished sixth. He was not the top favourite, but we did our part of the work in the final. The breakaway was too strong."