Normally, Tyler Hamilton would love to race flat out down a descent like the one included in the final-stage time trial at Spain’s Tour of the Basque Country on Friday evening. After all, the New Englander on the Danish team CSC was one of the country’s best alpine skiers, specializing in the slalom, before he became a pro cyclist.

Those downhill skills, plus his low center of gravity, make him one of the best descenders in the European peloton, particularly on a narrow, twisting course like the one he encountered in this time trial.

Starting the 13km test, Hamilton was equal on time with the overall leader, the vastly talented Iban Mayo of Euskaltel-Euskadi. Whoever won the time trial would win the final classification of what is one of the most prestigious stage races in the world (it’s rated hors categorie like Paris-Nice, the Tour of Switzerland and four other events).

The American started two minutes in front of the Basque, and he knew he had good form. “I was getting stronger every day,” Hamilton told VeloNews, speaking on his cell phone during his post-race massage.

That good form — even though he is far from the peak he is aiming for at this year’s Tour de France — translated into an early lead in the time trial.

Racing through torrential rain on a road of constant turns climbing to a tunnel that cuts through a headland, almost 700 feet above the foaming waters of the Bay of Biscay, Hamilton passed through the 5km check in 8:11. This was a massive 12 seconds ahead of the best time at this point laid down by Spanish all-rounder Angel Vicioso of ONCE-Eroski; and when Mayo came through, climbing as fast as he could, he too was slower than Hamilton, by six seconds.

The hill continued climbing for another kilometer, and then came the descent that Hamilton would have loved in the dry; but knowing that he has bigger objectives later in the season he said that he didn’t want to make any risks on this day of heavy rainfall. “It was very technical, narrow and twisty,” he said. “I went fast, but not crazy fast.”

For Mayo, this was his Tour de France. At 25, Mayo is one of the biggest prospects in Spain, and his Euskaltel team is not yet assured of racing in this year’s Tour — it’s fighting for a wild-card spot. Well, Mayo did race “crazy fast” on the descent back to the coastal town of Fuenterrabia. On the 5km of downhill he went six seconds faster than Vicioso and 18 seconds faster than Hamilton to win the time trial and take the overall victory, the biggest of his career since the 2001 Midi Libre, by 12 seconds over Hamilton.

“To tell the truth, this race wasn’t a big objective for me,” the American told VeloNews. “Even so, I’m a bit disappointed.”

Hamilton had also ridden brilliantly in the mountainous 91km road stage from Santesteban to Fuenterrabia that preceded the time trial. On the Cat. 2 Alto de Erlaitz, which averages almost 12 percent for 3.8km, he made a strong solo chase after Mayo, his Euskaltel teammate Samuel Sánchez and Italian favorite Dario Frigo of Fassa Bortolo. Over the summit, the American was about 10 seconds behind Sanchez and 20 seconds behind the other two.

“The road didn’t go straight down, it was still climbing a little,” Hamilton said. “I chased and caught Sánchez … and then Frigo and Mayo just before the descent” — which was as slippery and twisty as the one they’d race down later in the day. The two Basque riders gunned it. Frigo was dropped by 10 seconds, while Hamilton managed to catch the two leaders after being gapped. Then came the flat run=in to the finish.

“I wasn’t going for the stage win,” Hamilton continued, “so I worked really hard the last 10 kilometers to make sure that Frigo didn’t get back to us, as he was dangerous for the time trial.”

As it happened, Frigo took even fewer risks than Hamilton on that final descent of the time trial, knowing that his big challenge is coming up very soon: the Giro d’Italia starting May 10, just a month away. For the American, though, the bundle of UCI points he earned Friday will probably send him into the top 20 of the World Rankings, and boost his confidence for the big races ahead. Even if the Basque Country race had one descent too many.