Vuelta Quotes

(Rather than designating a leader before the race starts, Phonak is adopting a `wait and see` policy.) We have a couple of guys that are very good right now, ... I think that Santos Gonzalez is good, Gutierrez is good and...Oscar (Pereiro), I don`t know how motivated he is, but he looks fit. I don`t think we are going to pick one person and say that we will work for them. There are other teams to control the race, just like the Tour. Discovery are here, and I think Roberto (Heras) wants to win, so I would expect that they will work. But the Vuelta is different, anyway, you have to be careful with the wind and so it is more a case that we have to stay together.

I haven`t done any reconnaissance like the Tour, but I looked at the maps...Anyway, it is a case that if you`re strong enough in the mountains, you can win the Vuelta. If not, you get dropped! There are seven mountaintop finishes, or something like that. So your strength is the most important thing. As for the time trials, I think the prologue is a bit short. But the last two are better for me.

It`s a lot more open without Armstrong. I really have to be careful that I have everything in hand. Basso is always getting better, Heras has to bring his Vuelta performance to the Tour, and Vino has already announced his intentions.

I love Spain for its landscapes and weather, so I am happy to make my debut at the Vuelta, ... I suffered bronchitis at the Tour that forced me to quit and I`ve been treating it for 20 days, leaving me totally inactive. Even though I lack a little race speed, I`ve felt good in training.

I`m lacking a little competition, but the knee is fine. It doesn`t hurt and it`s good enough to start the Vuelta and begin my preparations for the world`s.

The world`s is the only race that matter for me. My goal here at the Vuelta is sharpen my fitness. If I win a stage, great, but the most important thing at the Vuelta is to leave stronger than I came.

It`s OK that the others are ahead of me here. It doesn`t worry me. I really didn`t try in this Vuelta, ... I`m only here to prepare for the world championships. That`s the only thing that matters to me right now.

It`s okay that the others are ahead of me here. It doesn`t worry me. I really didn`t try in this Vuelta. I only came to the Vuelta to recuperate my fitness and I leave here at about 80 percent fitness. If I was here at top fitness I might not have reached the peak at the world`s. At Madrid, I want to be 110 percent fitness and I didn`t want to peak too early.