However, with Italian Matteo Trentin enjoying a purple patch of form, Rojas knew the QuickStep-Floors rider was his most dangerous rival from the remnants of the day's breakaway.

Trentin and teammate Niki Terpstra worked to trim the lead group which was down to four in the closing kilometres of the Collado Bermejo climb.

Joining Trentin and Rojas was Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (Dimension Data), Rafael Reis, and Jaime Roson (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA).

Before the Collado Bermejo, I was talking to Pablo Lastras, who was driving the DS car next to the break, and we agreed that 'Luisle' [LL Sanchez] could be our biggest rival, since he knew the climb and was one of the best riders uphill into that group.

With Marc Soler finishing in sixth place for Movistar, the Spanish squad will continue its fight for stage wins having lost Carlos Betancur to injury in the first week and having the race without former winner Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana.