In rainy conditions, the tough final stage of the Spanish stage race came to life early on. A large group of thirty riders, featuring four from the Dutch team, launched their attack on the second climb of the day.

Bruno Amirail, Tim Rex, Menno Huising and Fiorelli all showed themselves at the front of the race. Fiorelli stayed with the strongest riders for a long time before sprinting to an excellent fifth-place finish.

“We rode a strong race today,” race coach Frans Maassen said afterwards. “We wanted to fight for the stage win and had several riders in the breakaway. Filippo showed his strength today and was able to stay in contention for victory for a long time. We are very pleased with that.”

There was, however, a small downside to the day, as Ben Tulett did not start following his crash earlier this week. “It was better for Ben not to start today. It’s a shame, because he was in very good form and showed himself at the front throughout the week. Hopefully he can recover well ahead of the Ardennes Classics.”