Greg Van Avermaat (CCC Racing Team) scored his first summit finish of the season at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana on Thursday, finishing 10th.

Van Avermaat, who won the stage last February in Valencia with a technical summit finish on stage 3, dropped nine places this time, finishing above the town, near the radar station in Cullera.

However, he was only 5 seconds off the pace of stage winner Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates), which boosted morale.

"It was very good. I saw the climb last week in training and thought it might be a little too hard for me, but I had a good try," Van Avermaat told Cycling News.

"The pure climbers had their chances today, but I just wanted a good effort for myself and for the next race."

On a five-minute climb like Crera, there are only one or two key moments for everyone. In Van Avermaat's case, his story for the day was to stay as long as possible and as close to the front as possible.

"I just fell off right near the top, and the guys we were counting on were up there. So that was good," he concluded.

Overall, van Avermaert said that conditions at the moment are about the same as in 2019, and he has already stated that his main goal is to be in good shape from Het Nieuwsblad to the Amstel Gold Race, which will be the same race as 2019.

Beyond that, of course, there is the distant goal of defending his Olympic and road race titles.

But back to the present, the brutally difficult 5km climb to Altea in Valencia on stage 4 is less suited to the Belgian's talents than the uphill finish of stage 2. But in any case, the omens are good, and at this stage of the season, that is what matters most.