When it comes to standing on the same finisher podium as Tadej Pogañar, even before this year's Volta a Catalunya, in a completely different league, Mikel Landa knew that feeling well.

In Flèche Wallonne last year, when Landa claimed 3rd place behind the victorious Poganyar and 2nd place Mattias Skjelmose, the Basques already produced this phrase - at least where the Slovenians were concerned - to be "among the first humans" to end up behind the Poganyar. I was thinking.

Fast Forward 11 months and Landa is now again running strongly as the "first fatal" behind Poganyal, both placing second place at the end of the Pyrenees Summit and lying in second place overall.

The Basque was brave enough to put his Soudal-QuickStep teammate in front on the lower slope of Port Aine and launch his first attack at 7.5 km to go - not only to match his movement but also to make it better for Poganyal.

That being said, with his long solitary drive to the summit behind Pogachal, Landa then fended off a counter-attack by Sepp Kus (Visma-Landa) and another 28 seconds in Alexandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe)

After that, even if Pogachal remained impregnable, he could still be in control. Not a bad day in the office. And as Landa later told reporters, after seven three stages, he was convinced that the second overall, "the first mortal" would be as good as he could get this week in Catalonia.

"I am satisfied, the purpose is to get the time to the third running person and I did it. Unfortunately, Poganyar is here and that means winning is really hard," said Landa, who does not want to beat around the usual crisp bushes.

Landa tried to make the most of being in great shape when he got his teammates to work ahead of Poganyar and attacked himself. He said that he had not been able to do so. Not after Tuesday's great climbing performance, he felt morally rather than physically obliged to do it.

"It wasn't the point whether I felt good or not," Landa said. "After yesterday, there was more that I had to try. If we didn't do it, I don't know who could have and it was better to take the initiative.

"I knew Poganyar would react quickly, and I wanted to stay with him until I was close to the finish. But from the beginning, I could not."

Asked directly if Poganyar was impossible to follow, Landa was a bit qualified, but did not hesitate before agreeing.

"That's especially true if there are eight kilometers to go. Maybe it is possible when there are three kilometers to go, or you can at least try. But not 8."

Landa had not thought of using the Catalan Volta to build for the Italia Basque country, he said, has always been one of his goals and he also took second place last year behind another major star who was impossible to beat his home race: Giorgio Chiellini. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-lease a bicycle). Rather, he was looking to make the most of his good form to go for top results here and now.

"Let's end here first. Barcelona still has a long way to go, and then we will make plans for Italia. But first of all, I want to defend my second place overall."