'You live for days like today': Brenner takes first Grand Tour win after illness and crash

Marco Brenner (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) said his win on the Sierra de la Pandera was the best day of his career, having spent the first two weeks of the Vuelta a España struggling with illness and a crash.

"I think yes, but I cannot really believe it yet," Brenner said when asked whether this was the best day of his cycling life in his post-race interview.

His race until Saturday had gone badly. He crashed on stage 6 on the approach to Castelló, and says he had been ill in the opening week.

"I was not feeling super until now. I was not feeling like myself and I was struggling with some sickness early in the race and had a crash," he said. "But I really wanted to show myself, and also my teammates who have been working really hard for me the whole time, that I can be up there. Today I had two guys with me in the breakaway who did a super job."

Brenner realised his Vuelta was turning when he reached the final climb of La Pandera.

"On the final climb I could actually feel that I have the kick today, and I felt better and better throughout the day. Then in the end I started believing in it," he said. "I made a move and Santiago passed me, but I could catch up. And then in the end I could beat him in the sprint."

Buitrago had attacked from the back of the leading group and led over the top of the climb, taking maximum mountains points to extend his hold on that jersey. He started the day on 58 points.

Behind them, Enric Mas took another 25 seconds out of Primož Roglič, finishing alongside Felix Gall at 4:14 with the Slovenian at around 4:39.

Brenner won the Tour de Pologne earlier this season. He was Tudor's best-placed rider on the stage to Andorra, in fifteenth, before the illness and the crash took hold.

"You live for days like today, I guess," he said. "There are not many cyclists who achieve a stage win in a Grand Tour. To add this to my palmarès is really amazing."