China is evidently a land that brings good luck to Manuel Peñalver, who today scored his second career victory (first as a professional) in the opening stage of the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai, seven years after his first and only triumph in the saddle, which, coincidentally, was also on Chinese soil at the Tour of China 2018.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge and many miles have been ridden, but the Spanish rider has always had the merit of continuing to believe in his work and never giving up, an approach that today, after coming close on multiple occasions, allowed him to reconnect with that long-awaited victory.

"I'm extremely happy because the team did a fantastic job and we made no mistakes," the Iberian sprinter told our microphones while catching his breath after the finish line. "In the final meters, I saw riders coming back from behind, but I really managed to give it my all and secure this success that I want to dedicate to my family and the team," continued the 26-year-old from Torrevieja, first across the finish line in Xining, a stage he had been targeting for weeks.

"I wanted this stage and prepared meticulously at altitude with the idea of trying to win it," explained the 1998-born rider who, thanks to the work done at high elevation, might now better digest the altimetric challenges awaiting him and the entire group in the coming days.

"In the next stages, with climbs and racing at altitude, we'll have to suffer, so let's see how we react and then, maybe, we'll understand if there's a chance to win again," Peñalver stated lucidly before returning to talk about the team and the significance of his achievement, the first (if we exclude Aidan Buttigieg's victory in the Maltese championship) of the Team Polti-VisitMalta season.

"This victory clearly has a special value because I went through a difficult period, but the team gave me confidence and the opportunity to continue doing what I do: there's no better way to repay all this than with today's success," concluded the Spanish rider, who certainly, in a challenging moment, gave the entire Italian team a reason to smile and look to the immediate future with renewed energy and confidence.