Winning today’s mountain stage in the Vuelta a España was a bittersweet experience for Daniele Ratto (Cannondale) as he learned after the stage that his team captain, Ivan Basso, had been forced to abandon the Spanish Grand Tour during the stage.

Ratto explained that the rationale for him joining the breakaway was that he would be able to assist Basso once the group of main contenders for the general classification bridged the gap to the escapees.

“The idea was that I’d be away to help Ivan [Basso] on some downhills when the favourites would catch us,” Ratto explained. “But the peloton allowed the breakaway to gain a lot of time. I have been feeling good for a couple of days. Unfortunately, I got to know after the finish that Ivan had pulled out. He was very lean while I’m the opposite. The extra fat I carry has helped me resist the cold today. But my victory is a poor consolation price for Ivan’s withdrawal. I’m sure he was going to finish on the podium.”

Ratto added that he did feel certain of his stage win until late in the stage as he was troubled by cramps.

“I didn’t believe much in my chances. When I remained alone in the lead, there were two climbs left. I made a difference on the wet downhills. Riding a motorbike has made me used to putting my foot out as I did today to avoid crashing. At the bottom of the last one, I knew that I had an eight minutes lead. At that point, it was clear that unless I got a serious hungerflat, I could win the stage. I was scared as I felt I was cramping a bit but I managed to deal with that. It’s a special moment for me to succeed in the mountains.”