With no sprinter on the Astana team, Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev got his chance to test himself in the final bunch sprint of the Volta ao Algarve.

“Every day this week I worked hard for my teammates, and today I got the green light to try the sprint," he said.

Kozhatayev, smiling brightly through metal brackets on his teeth on a sunny day in Portugal, finished twelth in a bunch sprint on a day with strong winds and a technically difficult finale of speed-bumps and roundabouts. Kozhatayev finished at the same time as stage winner André Greipel of Germany, with teammate Valerio Agnoli at his side.

Luis Leon Sanchez finished fifth in the overall General Classification, 1.18 behind race winner Geraint Thomas of Great Britain.