'I can't finish second now' - Laurance outduels Arrieta to claim emotional Itzulia stage victory

"It's my second WorldTour win, and this is one I really went out and fought for," said the Frenchman to CyclingPro.net, visibly moved at the finish line.

Laurance's victory was far from straightforward as the 24-year-old has endured a significant amount of bad luck through the previous two stages. Laurance had hit the deck on stage 2, and his bad luck continued early on when his rear derailleur cable disconnected just as the race was blowing apart.

"I found myself way behind, and it was blowing apart everywhere. But I really felt I had incredibly strong legs. I didn't panic, I stayed calm."

Laurance fought his way back to the front, only for his cable to get caught in the cassette on the steep section of the main climb of the day, forcing a bike change with 40km still to race. From there, Laurance knew he had to ride within himself: "I knew I had to hold back a little. I needed to climb at my own pace without going too deep into the red."

It worked. Laurance went clear with Arrieta around 30km from the finish, and the pair built a healthy gap over the chasing group. But the finale came down to a straight fight between the two, and when Arrieta launched his sprint, Laurance cramped up immediately.

"I had a brief moment of fear. But he couldn't go any harder after his initial surge. He really stagnated," said Laurance.

"When I saw the finish line, I said no, I can't finish second now. After everything I've done, after yesterday's crash. I'd targeted this stage before the race. I gave everything," Laurance continued.

The victory is another marker in what has been a clear step forward for Laurance this season. The Frenchman said he is a different rider from twelve months ago, with the ability to do far more than just sprint.

"I'm getting better on longer efforts. Before, I could sprint but couldn't do much else. Now I can be in the breakaway, take pulls, and so on," Laurance concluded.