Philippe Gilbert went into today's stage of the Vuelta a Espana hoping that he would be in contention for the win. However, the final climb proved to be a bit too tough for the former world champion.

BMC Racing Team's Samuel Sánchez finished in a group that included the race leader Friday at the Vuelta a España to hold onto his sixth place overall as the race heads back into the mountains.

Daniel Navarro (Cofidis Solutions Crédits) soloed to take the stage win two seconds ahead of Daniel Moreno (Katusha Team) and Wilco Kelderman (Belkin Pro Cycling) while Sánchez placed 14th in the 188.7-kilometer stage. He remains 1:52 behind race leader Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) with the next three stages featuring significant climbing.

BMC Racing Team Sport Director Valerio Piva said the team's primary goal was to protect Sánchez's place in the overall standings.

"Philippe Gilbert was hoping to do a result here, but I think it was too hard for him," Piva said of the climb in the last three kilometers of the finish in the Parque de Cabárceno. "Samuel had good help from the team to save his position. He was in a good place."

BMC Racing Team's Daniel Wyss was part of an 11-strong group that spent the majority of the race about three minutes ahead of an ORICA-GreenEDGE-led peloton.

"The first objective of the team was to go for Philippe, so I was there really to protect him," Wyss said.

When the escapees reached the final categorized climb, only Wyss and four others remained in front over the top. But a concerted chase by FDJ.fr brought an end to their freedom inside the final eight kilometers.

"At one point, I thought maybe I could go for the stage and we could go to the end," Wyss said. "But FDJ.fr pulled us back. I had good legs. I was happy to be in the front and I think it was good to protect the team this way."