There is everything still to play for in the 2015 Vuelta al País Vasco and Team Katusha’s Joaquim Rodriguez battled right to the end in an effort to get to the top of the podium for the general classification. At the finish line in Aia, Rodriguez crossed in 8th place just behind race leader Sergio Henao and the two remain locked on time for the GC with one stage still to race.

"The early break made it to the end and we did not expect that, especially since the gap became just 30-seconds at one moment. We had to chase all day long. When Kwiatkowski attacked it did not make me nervous. It would have been more comfortable for us if a guy like Simon Špilak would have been along side of Kwiatkowski, but of course they wouldn’t let him join that break. Those things happen but I never panicked. Quintana lost time today but I wasn’t surprised. In the last few days I could already tell he could not climb like we saw in Tirreno – Adriatico. I’ve seen him stronger. Now tomorrow we have the TT. I’m not worried. It has 12 km downhill, technical and then uphill. It’s a TT to do on a regular road bike so that is already better for me. Of course I’m not specialist at all, however I will do my maximum. That’s all I can do," said team leader Joaquim Rodriguez. 

With attacks flying fast and furiously, the group with Landa moved off the front of the breakaway, soon hunted by Mikal Kwiatkowski. But a final surge from Mikel Landa (Astana) gave him the victory with a time of 4:06.01. He was a full 3-seconds ahead of Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) and sixteen seconds better than Tom Danielson (Cannondale-Garmin), also part of the original breakaway.  

Three trips up the Aia provided all the action is Friday’s stage 5. At 156 km, the stage began in Eibar and made its way to climb to Aia three times with the last time the super-steep finish. Team Katusha worked for Rodriguez with teammates surrounding him most of the time, most notably Simon Špilak and Ilnur Zakarin, who came in near the GC group at the end. Špilak moved into sixth place on GC at 22-seconds and Zakarin currently holds seventh position. 

Joaquim Rodriguez leads in the point classification (white jersey), while Katusha holds first place in the team’s classification.

The Basque Tour comes to a conclusion on Saturday with a climbing time trial. At 18,3 km, the course remains on the Aia and promises to provide an exciting conclusion to this year’s race.