Finishing in 22th place in the stage and ninth place in the general classification, I can be more than satisfied after the 150-kilometer queen stage in the Tour of Andalusia. The course today was really tough. After starting in Malaga, things immediately got really fast. In the first 40 minutes I rode an average of 335 watts. A really difficult final part of the race with a summit finish at Alto Santuario Nuestra Señora de Araceli awaited us today, which is why my teammate Leopold König and I were allowed to save our energy. After Mickael Buffaz (Cofidis) broke away from the peloton, Alejandro Valverde’s Team Movistar sped up, controlling the pace along with Rabobank. In the end the Spaniard claimed victory and is now leading in the general classification ahead of Denis Menchov.

Outstanding teamwork

Our team did great today, always putting us in a good position in the front. During the last three kilometers there were inclines of up to 18 percent. After two extremely difficult kilometers, the course thankfully flattened out briefly, which saved me. I was able to recover somewhat and attack the final kilometer. The last 50 meters were so steep – I was nearly standing. The finish line was like a deliverance. Compared to others, I don't have as many racing kilometers, but given the strong competition here I am very satisfied with my performance so far. Tomorrow is a stage for my fellow countryman Daniel Schorn. This time we're hoping for more luck in the sprint finish. I'll try to save my energy and do everything to defend my top ten position until the very last day.

Hasta mañana
Matthias