It's okay that the others are ahead of me here. It doesn't worry me. I really didn't try in this Vuelta. I only came to the Vuelta to recuperate my fitness and I leave here at about 80 percent fitness. If I was here at top fitness I might not have reached the peak at the world's. At Madrid, I want to be 110 percent fitness and I didn't want to peak too early.

Tom Boonen

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Everything was fine before the final sprint. My team mates had done a great job and suddenly my chain slipped, I nearly went over and crashed.

I don't want to look for any excuses, some riders were just better than me.

I'm lacking a little competition, but the knee is fine. It doesn't hurt and it's good enough to start the Vuelta and begin my preparations for the world's.

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I'm not a 100 percent satisfied, but let's say 98 percent,

NotPercentSatisfied

(Alejandro) Valverde is going to drop some bombs. And if it ends up finishing in a bunch sprint I'm not sure Petacchi will get his Italian train going,