Quotations

«I can't place a particular value on this fourth overall win, I just do my work the best I can. It's up to others to say what value it has.»

«It's a race I rode just once but I liked it very much. It's a very nice race. I think it has a very demanding mountainous part, then the time trials are not too long. It's a race I liked the year I went.»

«There were many difficult stages to control the race like the one in the mountains of Madrid [stage 17] or Avila [stage 18], especially the Madrid stage. The advantage that we got in Pajares [stage 15] was important and this one is maybe the calmest week of the four Vueltas I achieved.»

«The stage characteristics weren?t for a climber, but it?s the last week of the Vuelta and strength is very important. A specialist like Plaza won, but I had the mentality to win. I almost won, it was so close. But I?m confident thinking of the future because of what happened today.»

«[Meanwhile, Heras is not sure if he will race the 2006 Vuelta.] We will enjoy this fourth victory, ... In the winter we will see if there?s a fifth or if we go for other goals.»

«It?s a race I rode just once but I liked it very much, ... It?s a very nice race. I think it has a very demanding mountainous part, then the time trials are not too long. It?s a race I liked the year I went.»

«There are many stages left on the race, but he made a strong impact, a morale blow to the rest. So far, Liberty and Heras have demonstrated superiority.»

«The team has been working together very well in the last mountain stage, and I did not have any problem to control the race, ... There were attacks, but maybe [Stage 18] was easier for us. Still, three stages remain, but Madrid is closer every day, although we cannot relax. The stages that remain are already easier to control, and I will come to the time trial with a good cushion of time in my favour.»

«Today's stage was probably less difficult than that of yesterday. We let a breakaway go and the team has worked very well, and with a lot of discipline behind. No day is easy, but today our rivals probably paid a bit for the beating that they gave to themselves yesterday, because at this point of the race, it is difficult to recover a bit more. These two stages were the major obstacles that we still had, although there are still two more stages left, plus the time trial. Roberto continues to look very good to me, and he comes to the chrono with an advantage that will allow him to do it with more tranquility.»

«I can't figure it out, ... I train for it just as seriously, but I just don't have the same strength. I prepare the same way when the Vuelta approaches, and everything falls together. In Spain I'm at ease and mentally I'm stronger than in other races.»