La Vuelta: Irish ProContinental cycling team Aqua Blue Sport already has a podium place at the Vuelta. But yesterday was the first day it spent a stage on the attack.

Irish ProContinental cycling team Aqua Blue Sport

Irish ProContinental cycling team Aqua Blue Sport has reflected on its first day on the attacked at the Vuelta.

Its sprinter Adam Blythe took 3^rd on stage 2 from a front group of 10 that eked out a small gap on the rest of the field.

But yesterday’s stage 5 was the first time on of its riders rode in the breakaway for a stage.

Michel Kreder came into the Vuelta after 3^rd overall in the Arctic Tour of Norway. And he put that form to good use yesterday.

He would ride clear in a group of 17 that got clear in several waves.

Kreder found the pace at the very front too hot to handle on the undulating finale with a summit finish.

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But he survived and would take 11^th; bring the team further confidence and media exposure.

Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) would prove strongest as the breakaway fractured just before, and on, the Ermita Santa Lucia up to the finish line

But having flow the Aqua Blue Sport flag on the 157.7km road from Benicàssim to Alcossebre, 30-year-old Dutchman Kreder was satisfied.

“I had a good day in the break – it happened pretty quick,” he said. “We went away after two kilometres and then Sky closed the road and that was it.

“It was not easy in the break but I would say easier to be in there because we were just rolling on the climbs.

“We just tried to stay together because we could only get three minutes on the peloton. Then when we hit the finale we got more time.

Aqua Blue Sport felt pinch in final

“There were some attacks then and I found it hard for me. I waited until the last climb and I went full gas.

“It was very hard but it was nice to be at the front racing in the breakaway.”

The racing was set to continue today on stage 6; some 204.4km from Vila-Real to Sagunt.

It features five climbs; four of them cat 3 ascents. But there is one cat 2 crested with just over 35km remaining.