'He made a good decision' - Uijtdebroeks praises Seixas' bold 26km Itzulia solo

“He is just super strong. We saw the TT yesterday, also. He’s just super strong, Paul Seixas,” Uijtdebroeks simply remarked to CyclingProNet after the finish.

Beyond the rampant Seixas, Uijtdebroeks impressed, as he was always able to follow the key moves on the climb and found himself in the selective front chase group over the summit. 

The Belgian acknowledged the difficulty of getting a chase going, with each rider having different tactics to play and with the descent on the run-in to the finish in Cuevas de Mendukilo. “It was a bit of following and a bit of gambling at times, let's say,” said Uijtdebroeks. “Sometimes we were working well, and sometimes a bit less."

“I think the group in the final we pulled really well, but in these kinds of stages, it’s a bit like the classics. It’s a bit trickier, and it’s not just a mountain-top finish.”

This is why Uijtdebroeks then suggested that it was a good decision for Seixas to go solo with 26km remaining, as he was strong enough to solo to the finish and avoid the tactical battle behind.

“I think it’s the best way for him, because he can wait for a tactical game with the others, but he can also make it himself really hard and do it like this, and I think he made a good decision,” explained Uijtdebroeks.

In the end, Uijtdebroeks placed a handy fourth on the day, as part of the chasing pack at 1:25 behind Seixas, who was in a league of his own. 

It’s another step in the right direction for Uijtdebroeks, after an 8th place finish in the Volta a Catalunya, in his return to racing following a fractured wrist sustained in a crash at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana in February.

“My team helped me a lot during the day, so I’m happy, and we’ll build on this in the next few days,” said Uijtdebroeks.

Uijtdebroeks moved up to 10th in the GC, and while he sits 3:01 behind the race leader, he is within a minute of the final podium spot occupied by Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).