Unsurprisingly, Xacobeo-Galicia's leader, Ezequiel Mosquera, has admitted to disappointment following yet another win stolen from his grasp at the last moment at his beloved Vuelta a Espana. The Galician has finished 5th, 5th, and 4th overall in the last three editions of the Vuelta a Espana, and can count two 2nd place finishes and two 3rd place stage finishes in that time, but never a win.
Inside two kilometers to go on today's eleventh stage to Pal in Andorra, it looked certain that Mosquera would finally get the monkey off his back, but a resurgent Igor Anton rode back up to his wheel, attacked, and left the 34 year old to take yet another runner-up finish.
Afterwards, the perennial threat in the mountains of Spain was justifiably disappointed when he spoke with Ciclismo a Fondo.
"I thought that this one would not escape me. I've had so many if's when it comes to stage victories at the Vuelta…always second, always third. This time I was going to stop that, but Igor was just too much."
The explosiveness of a rider like Anton is difficult for Mosquera to deal with, and so, he started his hard riding with about five kilometers to go in hopes of shedding his rivals. The tactic worked perfectly, but unfortunately for Mosquera, Anton recovered remarkably and rode back up to him before doing to Mosquera exactly what he had been afraid of earlier - attack.
"I did what I had to do. I thought that the start that I just needed to get my rhythm and stay with it to the end. It is the card I have to play. I did not attack, I just kept going at my own pace. Anton was the smartest though."
Once Anton attacked the three-time top five finisher, Mosquera could only look on wistfully and dig deep to ensure that he didn't lose much time and did not lose his second place to a hard charging Xavier Tondo.
"When he attacked, I saw that he was better than me, and I could do nothing but try to finish."
In the press conference following the stage, Mosquera was a little more upbeat with his eyes on the remaining 10 stages.
"This is a great victory for Igor. He is more explosive than me in an attack at the top of the mountain, but I've climbed well. It has been an important day for the overall classification. I would have preferred to win, but I'm happy with how I'm going."
Mosquera will have many more opportunities over the final week and a half of racing. The steep ascents of the Asturian trifecta coming in just a few days time will likely favor him perfectly. Perhaps Mosquera will be able to finally get his stage win and perhaps, if all goes well, crack the Vuelta podium for the first time in his career.