It's a hard course and it's not tailored for the specialists because it has a lot of hills. It can make a lot of differences if you're strong. I know the route well because I have ridden a lot in the area, including training and in Setmana Catalana.

In a three week race, at the end there is always a high level, and more since we are in the UCI-ProTour. Maybe it's not the same level of the Tour, where all teams bring his nine riders at 100 percent level, but the average is very high. Maybe there are no so many names as other years, but the level continues being high. Here we have Mancebo, Aitor Gonzalez, Landis, Mayo, Pereiro and, in general, teams like Comunidad Valenciana, without forgetting that there are always foreigners whom you don't count on and then they ride very well.

We have to look for an explanation on why this is happening. We'll study it over the winter. Right now we don't know why, ... If we did, I could adapt to solve the problem.

These 10 seconds do not mean anything; for me, they have the same value of the six second bonus Roberto achieved before.

I still feel good, it's true, but Menchov hasn't failed and it looks like he hasn't done anything. I still have morale and even though I wanted to cut the time differences, I came to the Vuelta to win and I will keep trying.

Before the (Tour) departure, I was in excellent condition. The first 10 days, I felt pretty good too. Then, once the mountains came along, it all went badly, ... Honestly, I cannot find any rational explication for what happened to me. I know, however, that I can do well in the race. The proof is that I have already finished fifth in the race [2000]. I finished on another occasion in the top 10 [ninth, in 2002]. I'm at ease with myself. I always prepare for a next race the best I can.