Kenny Elissonde completed a fantastic Vuelta a Espana for his FDJ team when the tiny French climber took a breakthrough win on the brutally steep Alto de L'Angliru. The Frenchman was overwhelmed by his win on one of Europe's most legendary climbs and was impressed by the general performance of his team.

FDJ may be one of the smaller WorldTour teams but in the Vuelta a Espana, the French squad has punched above its weight. Thibaut Pinot has bounced back from a disappointing Tour de France by finishing 7th overall and Alexandre Geniez won the queen stage which finished in their native France.

Today the team completed an outstanding race when 22-year-old climber Kenny Elissonde won the second of the two most prestigious mountain stages. On the brutally steep Alto de L'Angliru, the Frenchman made the world aware of his climbing talents when he held off the GC riders on one of the most feared mountains in Europe.

"It’s just incredible," he said. "The Angliru is a myth. In the first part of the stage, I made the breakaway with many good climbers and I didn’t have good legs. It was a very hard stage and I’ve won it. After Alexandre Geniez at Peyragudes and our leader Thibaut Pinot finishing seventh overall, we couldn’t hope for more."

Elissonde had made it into a big 32-rider breakaway and joined Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) when the veteran attacked on the penultimate climb Alto del Cordal. He left his companion behind on the steepest section of the Angliru and was the only survivor from the big break.

Originally, his intention wasn't to fight for the stage win.

"I rode away with the idea of helping Thibaut in the finale," he said. "I felt better after the first climb. I dropped Paolo Tiralongo off and the crowd’s support in the Angliru helped me to give everything I had, but that was a long, long climb. I didn’t have much info. I understood I was1.20 ahead but I wasn’t sure. I was afraid of being caught. In the downhill before the finish, when I saw the Shimano car of the neutral service, I understood that I had won."

Elissonde is part of a talented crop of Frenchmen on his FDJ team. In this race, Pinot and Geniez have both made the world aware of their talents while sprinters Arnaud Demare and Nacer Bouhanni have all made names in the field of fast finishers.

Elissonde thrives in an environment of youth.

"I feel very well in this team because it’s made of young riders like Geniez and Pinot," he said. "The atmosphere is great. The Madiot brothers (manager Marc and sports director Yvon, ed.) have trusted me for being a pro cyclist last year after I joined the CC Etupes, the club of Thibaut and his brother Julien who is our coach at FDJ."

The race comes to its conclusion with a parade stage to Madrid tomorrow. Staring at 15.00 CEST you can follow that stage on CyclingQuotes.com/live.