After the first rest day, the peloton returned to racing with a 184.7-kilometre hilly stage from Alcaraz to Elche de la Sierra. The route looked set to favour the fast finishers, and the day’s breakaway was kept on a short leash as the bunch prepared for a reduced sprint.

Azparren refused to wait for the sprint to unfold. Inside the final kilometre, he launched a determined move alongside Yevgeniy Fedorov of XDS Astana Team, briefly opening a gap on the favourites’ group.

The move was eventually brought back in the closing metres, but Azparren held his position in the front group and crossed the line in sixth place. Bastien Tronchon of Groupama-FDJ United won the stage, with Magnus Cort second and Thibau Nys third.

It was the team’s strongest result of the race so far and a sign of growing momentum heading into the second week of the Vuelta. Azparren said after the stage that he believes the legs are there to fight for a stage victory.

“First, I was trying to lead out David Gonzalez. I didn’t realise we had a gap, or I realised quite late when David said it to me on the radio. I tried to race, but I’m not really a fast guy, so seeing that Fedorov was a bit on the limit, I should have gone for it earlier and maybe I would have made it to the finish. It’s quite nice to see that the shape is there, but on the other hand it’s a shame because I came so close. But the condition is there, and we still have some opportunities, and we will keep fighting,” Azparren said after the stage.

Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team will look to build on the performance as the race continues and keep looking for other opportunities to race with intent in the days ahead.

Equipment list for Azparren:

• ⁠Pinarello Dogma F
• Q36.5 Dottore Clima Skin Suit
• Q36.5 Unique Pro 4.0 shoes
• Q36.5 Dottore Aero socks
• BUS Airbreaker 2.0
• ⁠REACT Ervo
• ZIPP 454 NSW
• Vittoria 30mm Corsa S