Samu 3rd as Pyrenees loom

Samu successfully defended his third place overall on today's rather flat ride from Rodez to Revel without any significant problems. Samu, expertly guided and covered by team-mates at any given time all day, kept near the front, and sometimes at the very front, in the nervous finale. Along with Rubén, Gorka and Egoi he finished in the first peloton. Iván struggled more than yesterday, coming in 5:46 down along with Iñaki. Alán ended up 7:23 in arrears. At the finish, Samu expressed his sincere gratefulness to his team-mates. "My companions all did very well and we're a day closer to the finish", he said. "On paper, tomorrow's stage will be a decisive one and we'll have to be at our very best. I'm confident".