"We're here for the General Classification, but today was a good chance to race for a stage. For a finish like today I was just one spark short of a fire."

Those were the words of Astana's Luis Leon Sanchez after stage one at Vuelta a Burgos in Spain. Sanchez, who in June won the inaugural European Games Gold Medal in Azerbaijan, finished fourth on Tuesday, two seconds behind stage winner Carlos Barbero on a mostly flat and sunny stage.

Astana Pro Team riders Mikel Landa and Rein Taaramäe both finished one second behind Sanchez after a strong chase up the final short climb of the day with less than 30km to go.

Key stages for Landa in the mountains will come Friday and Saturday, while Wednesday's stage two is a 13km team time trial around Burgos.