Winner McNulty hardly knows what happened in the finale: "This was pure madness"

Brandon McNulty lit the fuse on Saturday afternoon at the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain. The American from UAE Team Emirates attacked in the last ten kilometers, was caught by Maxim Van Gils, but refused to give in during the final kilometer. His visibly nervous breakaway companion then faltered in the sprint, allowing McNulty to snatch the victory at the last moment.

"I made my move on the last, long climb with an acceleration. I then had a gap and just had to get up the short steep climb." Then Van Gils came over the top. "But I stayed calm and focused on the descent. That's where I was able to come back. Fortunately, I won the sprint." On paper, it was a strong performance by McNulty, as many would have thought Van Gils to be the stronger sprinter.

McNulty scrambles for words: "This was really madness.

A very good day," McNulty said, visibly searching for words about his finale in Spain. When asked if this fits into his season so far, the UAE rider could only respond affirmatively. Beating a breakaway companion who was faster on paper, he just did it. "It's been a very good year for me. I'm looking forward to more because this is really great. We start Itzulia on Monday, a new major goal for us. Now I can work towards it calmly and with confidence," he concluded the flash interview. In the Basque Country, McNulty will start alongside team leader Juan Ayuso.