Trek took it easy in today's big mountain stage of the Vuelta a Espana. The American team wanted to save energy for tomorrow as they believe that either Jesse Sergent or Kristof Vandewalle can win the time trial.

While the battle for the final podium raged on the last mountain climb of the 2014 Vuelta a España the five members of Trek Factory Racing were well behind, riding with most of the peloton; the sole goal for stage 20 was simply to finish as today’s race was only for a select few - those fighting the top positions of GC - and for the rest, a day to survive.

“Today was the last mountain stage; it was really hard, and it was a day for the GC guys," sports director Jose Larrazabal said. "Our idea was to survive the day and save energy for tomorrow’s time trial.  We really have a chance to win the stage tomorrow; we have strong guys for the tt. So the idea was that.

"The day went okay, with good weather, and we stayed with the peloton until the second to last climb, and from that point we were in the grupetto. There is nothing more to say, than that.  Our day is tomorrow.”

The penultimate day included 185.7 kilometers of a long, punishing route, the final road stage of the three-week Grand Tour, and it all culminated on the leg-breaking Puerto de Ancares (12.7kms at 8.7%).

The battle was fierce between the Vuelta’s top five leaders, but in the end the standings remained unchanged, only with slightly bigger gaps: Alberto Contador comfortably in red, Chris Froome holding second, and Alejandro Valverde maintaining third, albeit now almost a minute behind Froome and the hope to overtake him all but over.

Tomorrow the 9.7-kilometer time trial is too short to make any differences in the GC, and barring any incident the standings will remain intact through the mostly unpretentious race against the clock for the GC contenders.

For Trek Factory Racing, however, it will be the final chance for a stage victory, and the focus today was all about tomorrow.

“Tomorrow we look to Jasper [Stuyven], and especially Jesse [Sergent] and Kristof [Vandewalle]," Larrazabal said. "It is our last chance to finish the Vuelta on a good note, and it would be the best way for us to end this tour.”