Alexey Lutsenko got a chance to chase a stage victory in today's stage 3 of the Vuelta a Espana. However, the final climb proved to be a bit too tough for the former U23 world champion.

“The first week is nervous. Everyone wants to be at the front and nobody is tired," Alexey Lutsenko said after stage 3 of the Vuelta a Espana.

Lutsenko rode with the protection of his teammates all day in order to be able to contest the final sprint – a 1.5km twisting uphill road into the Andalusian town of Arcos.

The incline proved too difficult and at 800m Lutsenko watched as the top riders in General Classification all passed him, including teammates Fabio Aru and Tanel Kangert, who finished seven seconds behind stage winner Michael Matthews of Australia, while Lutsenko rode in 48 seconds back.

More significant than the time differences on Monday was the typical baking heat of southern Spain’s interior mountains. At the finish the riders came across dripping with sweat and screaming for water as the sun beat down with 38 degrees on their heads.

Daniil Fominykh, riding in his first Grand Tour, spent the whole day shuttling back and forth to the team car to retrieve water and electrolyte replacement drinks for his teammates.

With each rider needing as many as ten liters of fluids over five hours, Fominykh said he lost count of how many 500ml bottles he stuffed into his jersey.

Monday’s stage was also unusual at the start in Cadiz, where all the riders began the day on board a Spanish aircraft carrier from the country’s navy.