Between much-needed swigs of water at the Vuelta a España stage 10 finish and the occasional cough, second-placed Quentin Pacher succinctly summed up for reporters the reasons why he had just been roundly outdueled by Wout van Aert, and why, well before the finish, the Frenchman knew his chances of defeating the Belgian were close to zero.
"He is a real all-rounder, he can do everything - he can climb well, he can sprint well, he's really hard to beat," Pacher said.
