Maarten Tjallingii succeeded in riding free with an escape group after several attacks in the Vuelta’s summit finish stage to Sotres. Joaquím Rodriguez of Katusha won the stage. Tjallingii rode the team’s yellow and black colours to 54th. Fabio Aru continues to lead in the overall standings.  

The 15th stage of the Vuelta saw a classic race trend. A leading group of nine riders, which included LottoNL-Jumbo rider Maarten Tjallingii, broke clear, but had fight hard to get a big lead. Movistar controlled the entire stage and did not allow the breakaway to get far ahead.

"Movistar gave the leaders no room,” Sports Director Erik Dekker said. "It was 50 kilometres of fighting to get out the peloton. Maarten finally made the break. It was clear immediately that Astana did not want to control the race and therefore Movistar took over. But when the leaders did not get a good gap, we knew that a stage win was unrealistic.”

On the first steep kilometres of Sotres, Tjallingii fell behind the better climbers.

"You really need a bit of luck in the race to be in the break," Maarten Tjallingii said. "I waited a long time until I started attacking. After two, three times, I made the right break. Unfortunately, we didn’t get much of a gap. It is always like this, but when you are not in the breakaway, you cannot win the race. So we keep trying, it’s our fighting spirit.”

Tomorrow covers 185 kilometres to Ermita de Alba Quiros, another summit finish. The start is feared, too.

"Tomorrow is uphill from the start," added Dekker. “Besides Bennett, everybody will have to look after himself and make it in on time. It’s going to be a survival day for everyone tomorrow."