"We are here to get on the podium . Today we took back some time, and after the rest day we will take more."

Those are the words of Michele Scarponi after stage sixteen at the Tour de France. Scarponi worked in an elite group of General Classification leaders to lead teammate Vincenzo Nibali up the final climb of Monday's long, hot stage and create opportunities for an exciting finish in Gap.

Nibali attacked on the hot and dangerous downhill into Gap and finished 17:44 behind stage winner Rubén Plaza of Spain, who won from a daylong breakaway of 22 riders that included Astana Pro Team rider Andrei Grivko. More importantly, Nibali finished 28 seconds ahead of the elite group of General Classification leaders that Scarponi created, and gained valuable time on his rivals ahead of Tuesday's final rest day of the 2015 Tour de France.

With the Alps ahead, Nibali is now 8th overall and rising, 7:49 behind raceleader Chris Froome of Great Britain and within 1:30 of 7th.

To achieve a podium finish in Paris will take more calculated teamwork, more skillful descending, more strong mountain climbing and more effort from Nibali, Scarponi and all of the Astana Pro Team riders and staff. The task is now set, the challenge begins on Wednesday.

“I suffered a lot again today and it’s seems like back luck is still following me around because I’ve picked up a bit of a cold,” Nibali said. “But I still wanted to try something and so I attacked on the descent. I didn’t gain a lot of time but it went well. I can be a little proud of what I did today.”

“My goal is to perhaps win a stage as a way of thanking all the people who have continued to encourage me despite all my problems in this Tour. We’ll see what happens on he other side of the rest day. There are still a lot of tough days to come where e can try something. I can only hope that my form gets better.”