Yesterday Trek made it clear that today's stage of the Vuelta a Espana which could suit a breakaway, was a big goal. However, the team missed the move and so desperately chased to set up Jasper Stuyven for a sprint finish but left the stage with empty hands and a huge disappointment.

Everyone knew the undulant 169-kilometer stage seven at the Vuelta a España was marked as a day where a breakaway could ride to the end as the overall contenders would take a back seat and wait for the high mountains.

Trek Factory Racing followed moves right from the start - the goal was to be part of anything that went up the road – but the groups that formed were all chased down until the first significant climb after 35 kilometers where four men moved clear.

Trek Factory Racing took up the chase with 50 kilometers remaining with the hope to reel in the breakaway and gain back a chance for the stage win. Despite their cohesive team effort, and Team Lampre-Merida lending a hand, the breakaway held its advantage to the end.

Alessandro De Marchi (Cannondale) soled to the win after riding away from his breakaway compatriots, who would arrive a minute and a half later to contest the minor placings.  The peloton sprinted in for fifth place moments later. There were no changes to the overall classification.

Team director Josu Larrazabal explained how the opportunity to fight for a stage win slipped away, a result of a few circumstances that all played against the team today:

“The goal was to get in the break and for the first part of the race we were in the moves, in different groups that tried to go before the first climb at 35 kilometers," he said. "In the race book the climb was listed as a third category, but it was not a third category climb, it was very hard. The break went there, and of course going on a climb means the guys in the breakaway are really, really strong.

"But we did not think the situation was really bad because [Ryder] Hesjedal was in front and he was only seven minutes back in GC. But they gained too much time. So we waited a little bit; we were thinking to put the team on front to pull after the second climb, but we needed to start pulling before the climb already. At first Jesse [Sergent], Kristof [Vandewalle] and Fabian [Cancellara] did a good job and pulled on the flat part before the climb, and then Julian [Arredondo] did a really good job on the climb. The gap was coming down, but then Fabian got a flat tire, so we lost him, and then Lampre came to help us, but it was just not enough.

"Movistar were pulling, but just until the break was within 2-3mins, and that was enough for them. And we thought Orica [GreenEdge] might help but they had some crashes with some of their guys, and Degenkolb had a crash so Giant-Shimano did not pull. In the end we missed these teams [help] and all together it was just bad for us.

"The whole team did a good job to try and rectify the situation. We missed [the break], we worked, but we were not able to close the gap, and we are really disappointed."