For the second time in his career, Joaquim Rodriguez goes into a flat Vuelta a Espana time trial as the race leader. Yesterday he was very pessimistic but after having seen the course he is more upbeat.

“The time trial course is different to what I imagined it to be. We thought it would be completely flat, where everybody would go flat out, and it’s not that. The first 10 or 12 kilometres are not at all easy," he said at his press conference, according to Cyclingnews.

“I’m not making any calculations I just have to do it very well, and everybody else, not so well. Let’s play the game and see how it works out.
“The pressure is on him [Dumoulin] because he’s the top favourite to win the Vuelta, but there’s always the chance I’ll do a great time trial. And I’ve got a time gap which, even if it’s not what I’d like, isn’t so bad, either.”