There was some uncertainty about what to expect from another French stage racing talent, Warren Barguil, at the star-studded Vuelta a Espana. The revelation of a previous edition of the race proved strong enough to finish the first mountain stage inside the top ten and revealed that, unlike the last year, he targets the general classification of the event.

At the age of only 21, Barguil became one of the brightest points of last year’s Vuelta a Espana taking two mountain stages in highly respectable fashion, but the young Frenchman won’t chase similar opportunities this time around.

Reassured by his promising performance at La Zubia on Thursday, the Giant-Shimano climber wants to try himself against best stage racers in professional cycling as he targets the general classification of the 2014 edition of the Vuelta.

“It was a very hard climb, particularly with the heat. About two kilometres to go I lost contact with the front group, but I continued at my own pace and raced well, I didn’t crack,” Barguil told Cyclingnews shortly before the race headed north out of the province of Granada to the northern Andalusian town of Alcaudete.

“Really it couldn’t have gone much better. I was aiming to be in the mix for as long as possible, and I came through well. So far this has been a good race for me, particularly if you bear in mind that this has the best-quality field of any Grand Tour this year.”

“I am still worried about crashing, particularly because the roads are so slippery at the roundabouts.”

“But the plan was go for the overall before the race, and this is still the same now.”