Slipped back
Kruijswijk was disappointed. “I started this Vuelta with ambitions, so you want to finish among the best riders on the first summit finish,” Kruijswijk said. “I wasn’t able to do that, today, clearly. I didn’t feel strong. The only reason I can give is my illness in the past weeks, which was the reason that I haven’t been able to train a lot. I slipped back a little bit and I have to make sure that I’m able to improve in this race to make the most of it. I’m confident about tomorrow in some way because I feel fit and healthy again. I’m not in my best shape, but I’m expecting to improve in the upcoming days.”