a hard week?s racing. Well, I reckon that it?s been hard. Not sure about some of the other guys though, the way they step into it everyday while I?m on the rivet from beginning to end. Unfortunately the rest day is not going to be overly relaxing. Normally I like to sit in my bed for the most part of the day after doing 2-3 hours on the bike, checking out around the city - wherever we are, a massage and lots off sleep. So as if the Vuelta hasn?t been hard enough, they made the rest day a 5 hour drive by car to
Logrono. The perfect way to make a rest day not a rest day.

There?s not much that we can do about that though. I?m sure that the organizers will hear enough complaints from the teams but as is normal in cycling, it won?t change a thing. What the teams, or more importantly, the riders want often means very little and most of the time, squat. Usually it?s all about what works best for publicity and media. After all, we the cyclists are just the entertainers.

Anyway, our team is down to five riders now so the peloton is shrinking by the day. Tomorrow?s stage is a flat one from
Logrono to
Burgos. It?ll be a sprint for sure as Petacchi, Boonen and Zabel are all still bopping around. Thor went home yesterday so I may have a chance to give things a nudge?

Julz

Click here to support Julian and send him your comments.