Przemyslaw Niemiec has taken over the Lampre-Merida captaincy role from Chris Horner and today he passed the first small test. Having been badly positioned for the final climb, he passed several riders in the finale and was pleased with his sensations.

Przemyslaw Niemiec was expected to play a domestique role for Chris Horner in the Vuelta a Espana but after the American never made it to the start, he is now riding as team captain. Today he showed good form in an explosive finale that didn't suit him well.

Niemiec hit the final climb in stage 3 in a poor position but managed to pass several riders when it came down to the climbing legs inside the final 2km.

"This finish was not suitable for my characteristics," he said. "However, I tried to limit the gap to the best riders. On the descent we lost some positions. This limited us in the approach to the final climb. I passed a lot of riders and the legs were good but in the first positions they started to sprint for the win which created a gap between the first 16 riders."

"With this heat, rehydration is essential for the riders, both in order to avoid dehydration problems and to avoid a drop in performance related to the decrease in body weight due to fluid loss," explained Dr. De Grandi. "In a stage like today, the riders lose more than 4 liters through perspiration. They need to drink at least 1 liter of water during every hour of the race. 

"We opted to provide our athletes with water with magnesium and potassium, both before the stage and during the stage."