Before Daniel Navarro took his career’s biggest victory in Friday’s Vuelta a Espana stage, he had tried his luck two days before at the Santuario de San Miguel de Aralar mountaintop finish, but attack of his countryman Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) effectively wrecked all his chances. The Cofidis leader openly expressed his disappointment and anger caused by the move of Tinkoff-Saxo leader, even though he understood what motivated him to do so.

Two Spaniards reportedly had discussed the issue after Wednesday’s stage came to its conclusion, but Navarro was still concerned about it when he spoke with journalists on the following day in Logrono.

“Such things happen in races. He made his move because he saw that Froome was fading. That’s what he told me, that he wanted to drop Froome,” Navarro explained Cadena Cope.

“I wasn’t exaggerating. I went for a stage win and I had good legs. I was pissed yesterday because there are very few such opportunities and so they should be exploited.”

Fortunately for the Cofidis leader, the next opportunity arrived earlier than he would expect and he exploited it to perfection, claiming his biggest career’s victory in the 13th stage on Friday.