Kuss and Tratnik aimed to make race in Vuelta a Murcia "hard", Wynants "felt that there was more to it"

They were prominently featured on Saturday afternoon: the riders from Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Sepp Kuss and Tosh van de Sande animated the breakaway group of the day, Jan Tratnik secured second place, and Mick van Dijke finished impressively in ninth place. Consequently, the members of the yellow-black team were content with their day under the Spanish sun.

Jan Tratnik delivered a solid performance during the final stage around Murcia, dominating the final climb and the flat terrain. The only rider who managed to outpace him was the winner, O'Connor. Tratnik crossed the finish line in second place after showcasing his strength on the climb. It's a fantastic start to the season for him. "The long climb today was challenging for me, but the shorter climb at the end suited me better," he disclosed in the post-race interview. "I felt stronger towards the end. I'm thrilled with this performance, and it's gratifying to kick off my season like this."

Kuss appeared to be a local hero in Murcia and is pleased with Visma | Lease a Bike's result in Murcia

Teammate Kuss demonstrated his strength with an attack on the longest climb of the day, the Collado del Bermejo. The American Vuelta winner afterwards revealed that it was a planned move. "We aimed to toughen up the race there, especially for the sprinters. It was a good moment to attack because the breakaway wasn't too far ahead." In the end, Kuss couldn't bridge the gap to the leaders in the finale, but he remained content with the day's outcome.

"I wasn't as attentive in the final stretch, and I was feeling a bit fatigued, which prevented me from joining the decisive attacks," he explained. "Jan Tratnik was incredibly strong in the final, and we can be pleased with his second place. I'm tired; it was a challenging day, but overall, it's been positive." Kuss' reputation appeared to have grown in Spain, partly due to his Vuelta victory last year. "It was a great feeling; the people here are very friendly, and the atmosphere is always enjoyable," remarked the contented rider from Durango.

Maarten Wynants thought there was more potential

Maarten Wynants, acting team leader for Visma | Lease a Bike, observed that his team performed well even without a clear-cut leader. "Our plan was to make the race challenging on the first two climbs and get someone into the early breakaway, which we accomplished," he stated via official channels. '"It's very unfortunate that Wellens and O'Connor managed to break away from the group at an inopportune moment. Sepp got boxed in behind another rider, causing him to miss the decisive move. Subsequently, we opted to apply pressure from behind. Despite this setback, Jan delivered a strong performance, but there was potential for more. I also want to commend Mick van Dijke for his impressive ride, staying with the leaders on the final climb and finishing ninth."