Illness has prevented Nairo Quintana from contending for the overall win in the Vuelta a Espana and he goes into the final rest day in 8th overall.

"I have had difficulties," he said at his press conference. "I have recovered and returned to a good level which allowed me to be close to the favorites. For me it is a good balance because I could have been at home, out of the Vuelta, and it is important to have been there for my team.

"The Vuelta has been hard for us due to the health complications and because we were at one hundred percent at the Tour and have reached the Vuelta with the accumulated fatigue and work from the entire year.

"The season has been quite long, since last autumn I have been preparing for the Tour. I could do some testS and win in Tirreno to reassure the head. Then we missed the big goal in the Tour. We decided to do the Vuelta, knowing that the season had been very intense. We have taken a ris and everything was fine until night of the rest day where I suffered from a fever, dizziness, an upset stomach ... At least I was able to recover to stay in the race so the balance is very good. I am satisfied that it could be last race of the year.

"You can do the Tour and the Vuelta, it is not easy, because we have seen Alberto do the Giro and Tour and the body suffers. Perhaps you need other preparations. However, one thing is to do them. To try to win them is different.

"[I don't expect to be at Worlds] because it does not suit me. I am thinking about it because I have not recovered well and is tired. Either I go there to support the team or I stay at home. Rigoberto (Uran) could be the leader together with Sergio Luis (Henao)."