“At that final race situation with ‘Luisle’ and Lutsenko I was in a bit of fear – we’re talking about two super strong riders, which made it not easy to manage. When Lutsenko went so fast after Muru and took those meters I knew, though, that it wasn’t long until Ibarra, and I used my energy well to remain close and then, at the final part of the climb, give it my all with that final attack and open that gap.

“This victory gives me so much joy and confidence towards the Itzulia – hopefully we can have as good weather there as in Navarra. My legs are feeling well and we’ll be bringing a great them there. I want to dedicate this victory to our great friend, Gary Baños – wherever he is, he will have surely enjoyed that one. Things are starting to go well for us as a team, and that’s important to keep improving and leave more challenging times behind.”