In the decisive final stage to Lucena, all eyes were on the double climb of the Alto de la Primera Cruz. Three riders formed the breakaway of the day, but thanks in part to Team Visma | Lease a Bike, their adventure came to an early end. On the first passage of the climb, Laporte managed to climb with the best, but things went wrong on the descent that followed.

Laporte was touched by the rider in front of him and was unable to continue. "He seems to have been able to get away relatively unscathed", sports director Marc Reef said. "Someone in front of him slipped and hit Christophe's front wheel. He had nowhere to go and fell. He immediately indicated that he couldn't continue, but now at the finish it seems to be not too bad."

According to Reef, it’s frustrating that Laporte, who was fourth in the general classification and had a chance for a top finish, could no longer contend for a podium spot. “He was in a strong position, both in the general classification and the points classification. Unfortunately, that all went away in an instant. It’s a shame we couldn’t defend our chances.”

In the lead-up to the second ascent, Victor Campenaerts showed his attacking spirit. The Belgian was joined by Søren Wærenskjold, but the pair were given very little room. On the second passage of the Alto de la Primera Cruz, Tom Pidcock unleashed his power, making the decisive move. He soloed to the stage victory. Zingle finished tenth, just under a minute behind.

"After Christophe was forced to abandon the race, we immediately switched to Axel. He wasn't well positioned at the foot of the climb, which meant he had to move up quite a few places. He fought hard and eventually finished tenth. He did well."

With a stage win and several top ten finishes, Reef looks back on the five-day Spanish race with a good feeling. "We rode to win every day and came close a number of times. We won the first stage and we can be happy with that. For most of the guys, it was their first race of the season and I think everyone has taken a step forward here. I've seen a lot of good things."