Thibaut Pinot (FDJ.fr) rode brilliantly among some of the big names in this year’s Vuelta to finish 6th on Monday’s stage which finished on the sadistically steep Alto de Hazallanes alongside pre-race favourites Joaquím Rodriguez (Katusha) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).

“I’m very happy with my ride. I haven’t had such good legs since the beginning of the season,” Pinot said after crossing the finish line. “Maybe I rode too much behind Nibali but I have no regrets. In this race, the Spaniards mark each other and the Italians help each other but I found my place. I’m eighth on GC but I don’t look at that. I could have a bad day and lose a lot of positions.”

By finishing 6th, Pinot cemented his top ten place on general classification and is currently lying 8th overall, trailing Chris Horner (RadioShack-Leopard) by 3’11”.