Itzulia Basque Country (2021) Photos; Stage 6: Ondarroa → Arrate, 112 km

“We hoped that the stage would go a little differently for us. We tried to control the race initially, but when Astana attacked they managed to build up a gap quickly, forcing Marc Hirschi and me to lead the chase, even though it was a little too late.We then arrived at the most challenging point of the stage, and Brandon got detached. It was then up to me to fight for the podium and I had to push really deep for 40km. It was one of the most demanding stages both mentally and physically that I have ever done in my career”.

Sports director Grischa Niermann saw the tactic that had been outlined turn into a success. "A great day for us as a team. It turned out exactly as we had planned. We wanted to race from the start and put the competition under pressure. Today we did a great job as a team. We take all the jerseys home in one of the toughest races of the year. The compliments not only go to Primoz and Jonas, but to the entire team. Not everyone understood our tactic in the past week, but in hindsight it appears that it was the right one. Today we have proven once again that we have more to offer than just controlling the race. We end this week with an excellent feeling."

Itzulia Basque Country (2021) Photos; Stage 6: Ondarroa → Arrate, 112 km