Rubén Fernández (1991) was the revelation of the Tour Down Under where he finished third in the queen stage to the top of Willunga Hill and fifth overall. In his first race with Team Movistar, he underlined his potential on the climbs.

Unsurprisingly, the Spaniard draws a positive balance. "I am very satisfied. I had some uncertainty, but the result was pretty good. I worked hard in the winter. During my time in Murcia, I did not lose a single day of training. When it rained, I took some rest because I knew that the next day would be good," he told BiciCiclismo.

Only Richie Porte and Rohan Dennis were better on Willunga Hill while Cadel Evans and Tom Dumoulin also beat the Spaniard in the overall standing. The Movistar rider got better with every passing day. "I knew I was good, and in the first summit finish that was won by Dennis, I saw that I could be with the best, and I got more confident. And with the victory of Lobato, even more. I have more belief in myself. I know I can ride against the best," he said. "I really liked the race: the fans are very respectful. I was impressed by the number of spectators."

His next races will be the Vuelta a Murcia, Volta ao Algarve and Paris-Nice. "I'm pretty happy with the schedule," he said. Last year, he was sixth in Algarve where Kwiatkowski, Contador and Costa made up the podium. "They were at a higher level and I was just one second from finishing fifth. It's a race that I like," he said. "I hope to continue this good start. Right now it's hard to think what I can do during the season. I'd like to be in contention for some stage win and some general classifications."

In Murcia he has three teachers: Alejandro Valverde, Luis Leon Sanchez and Jose Joaquin Rojas. "Training with them is an added motivation. They always give me advice. Alejandro is a special case. eH is very good every day. He comes straight back from his rest and it seems like he has been training hard. He is one of a kind."

Rubén Fernández won the 2013 Tour de l'Avenir and was with Caja Rural in 2013 and 2014.