The stage was one long climb after another. It was also the last stage in southern Spain, and the scorching summer heat was brutal. Under a cloudless sky and a blazing sun, the peloton's pace was understandably slow.
At present, Decathlon and Movistar Team were naturally the two biggest rivals for the Red Bull Bora Team.
After all, O'Connor and Mas were the top climbers in the general classification standings, ranked just behind Huang Chong.
But Mas's racing style and abilities were very clear: he completely lacked the capacity for a long-range solo breakaway, which meant he would only resort to conservative tactics.
Therefore, even though his Movistar Team knew their leader was third in the overall standings, they made no move to take the front and help with the pacemaking in the peloton.
