Giant Shimano's John Degenkolb was grateful to the help of his team mates as he took a second successive victory in the Vuelta a España
"The guys worked hard today when it split to bring Warren back up to the front and also Tobias pulled all day then was in the front split to keep us out of the wind until the climb, " Degenkolb said to his team's press office.
"At the end we made the best out of the situation with just three of us. Warren put us in position but after Koen launched I had to improvise after nearly missing a corner. I lost the wheel and had to close the gap but luckily I was strong enough to still sprint.
"The atmosphere is very relaxed now and it's good not just for mine but also the team's confidence.
"I'm looking forward now to helping Warren tomorrow and getting him in the best position for what will be a steep, hard finish. It will be role reversal, me getting bottles and ice for the guys."