The day after Wout van Aert's second stage victory, the peloton was presented with an uphill finish. On paper, stage eight looked like a chance for the escapees, but the classification teams kept the day's breakaway within reach.  

At the foot of the steep final climb to Cazorla, several riders - including Kuss - were held up by a crash. The American then briefly managed to get back to the group of favourites, but after another acceleration by Roglic, he ended up in a chasing group. Kuss eventually crossed the line in 21st place, 1'07’ behind the stage winner.  

“I felt good and we were well positioned as a team for the final climb”, Kuss responded afterwards. “In the beginning of the climb I got held up by the crash, so I had to chase. I still tried to rejoin the group of favourites, but unfortunately that just did not work out.”  

On Sunday, the tough stage between Motril and Granada is scheduled. Three first-category climbs await the riders.