The peloton has had a much-needed day off after two hellacious stages in the mountains. You might assume that they’d feel feisty and fresh, ready to mount their bicycles and attack the course. But that’s the funny thing about Grand Tour races: rest days don’t always have a positive effect on the riders. Some do, indeed, come back fully recovered and on their game. Others aren’t so lucky. It’s as if their bodies, pushed to the limit over two grueling weeks, engineer a complete biological and mental shut-down. All systems on lock. ¡No más!

So, while we have only five days until the finale in Madrid, overall outcomes are anything but assured. Tuesday’s race is an individual time trial, in which each rider races solo against the clock, with no teammates alongside to help. It’s a difficult discipline to master, and it tends to favor the bigger riders and sprinters. Chris Froome, currently in first place, is an excellent time trialist, and we’d expect him to put his rivals on the defensive today. But, like I’ve said many times, you never know. Anything can happen! Continue reading “The Circuito de Navarra and La Rioja: It’s Stage 16 of #Vuelta2017”