After four months of absence because of health problems, Belgian rider Kobe Goossens is back in the top ten from the first bunch race in the Tour of Spain this 27th of August.
Just like the day before, it rained cats and dogs during this Catalan stage of 181 kilometer between Mataro and Barcelona, in which the decision was made on the slopes of the Montjuïc climb 3 kilometer before the finish.
Accompanied by Rui Costa, Goossens finished in the first chasing group behind winner Andreas Kron. Goossens concluded the top ten, with the Portuguese rider taking 12th place.
“On paper this stage was not the one suiting me most, but I felt good. It was my first true race day in four months, this good feeling gives me a lot of confidence. Because of the slippery roads we had to stay concentrated for five hours, so it was a long and demanding day. I am focused on tomorrow’s stage towards Andorra, which I picked as one of the interesting stages for myself in this Vuelta. I did the final climb several times in training the last couple of weeks. I can’t wait!”
"It was very nervous in the final 60 kilometer, everyone wanted to be well positioned out of the danger zone. I tried to stay in the front. My legs responded well in the final, knowing that it's been almost one month since my last race, the Clásica San Sebastián. I feel ready to battle for a stage win."
