Suffering from bronchitis, Rui Costa lost time in yesterday's stage of the Tour de France but after having received antibiotic treatment he is getting better. Today he survived the day without any further time loss and now claims to be back at 70% of his capabilities.

Rui Costa has seen his first attempt as a GC rider in a grand tour being significantly hampered by bronchitis. Yesterday he lost more than 1.30 and dropped out of the top 10.

Luckily, the world champion is getting better and today he got safely through another potentially tricky day.

"Today I can say that I am happier," he said. "The feelings have improved a lot compared to yesterday, a day when I really suffered because of this bronchitis. I think I'm back to 70% of my strength, thanks to the antibiotic treatment that was prescribed by the team doctor and I am confident that I can still improve in the coming days. The race for me today was quiet without too many worries, the final had many ups and downs that I faced quietly in the middle of the group."