Daniel Martin (Cannondale-Garmin) again narrowly missed out on a grand tour stage win when he finished second in stage 6 of the Vuelta a Espana.

“It was a finish that suited me and from the start I felt good," he said. "I had a ridiculous number of bottles from the staff, keeping me well watered all day and I think I seem to race well in the heat. With hindsight, even though I did well on stage two, I wasn’t so great then, but now I just keep getting better and better.

"Esteban - God he was strong. He went away at the bottom and then when I went, there was a bit of a headwind so that was why I didn’t get a gap at first. I would never have caught Chaves. 

"I’ve got no idea how far I can go. After 2013, this is really the first time that I’ve really gone for GC in the second Grand Tour of the year and it’s the second time I’ve done a second Grand Tour in the same year, too. So we could get to stage 11 or stage 15 and the wheels fall off."