Moncoutié liberated

David Moncoutié (Cofidis) has won the mountain jersey of the 63rd Vuelta a España. His stage win in Pla de Beret gave him some points to inch close to then-leader Alessandro Ballan. His consistent good performances netted him the red jersey in the end, along with an eighth place overall.

Moncoutié was marked after the final stage from the three-week effort as well as from the fast final stage. "Nothing could happen [to take the jersey] except a crash, so I had to pay attention, especially in the last laps."

Completing the final lap was something extraordinary for the Cofidis rider. "It's nice to cross the finish line of a Grand Tour." The Frenchman added that the feeling in his home Tour would be still a tad better. "Of course it is not the Champs Elysees, that would be a bit different."

But he definitely knew to celebrate the success and thought it among the best things he had accomplished as a professional. "To get a jersey in a Grand Tour, that is a great souvenir. I am content that I was able to carry this jersey all the way to Madrid."

Almost a month of hard work is now over. Moncoutié expressed it well. "We finished a three-week race. It's a liberation, voilà!"