Alberto did reconnaissance of the time trial route on the Sunday before the Tour began, making a quick round trip from Madrid to check the conditions of a potentially crucial stage. “At the beginning of the Tour, I planned to keep this time trial as the last card to play if I were even with Andy or a little behind, but it’s still going to be especially difficult. It’s a flat route through the vineyards, where you can hardly ever get out of the saddle and where the wind direction will have major impact.”
 
“Tomorrow will be a very difficult day and we’re going to have to suffer,” he continued, “because it’s more than an hour of effort at full tilt.” About his strategy, he said that it will be very simple. “It’s not a question of watching vigilantly another rider, but of going as fast as you can. I’ll have the advantage, at any rate, of leaving last and having the splits, but that’s all.”
 
Alberto started the race today on a special bicycle with the names of 250 of his fans written on the frame, but out on the course he experienced a small mechanical problem and had to change bikes. “It was a shame not to be able to finish the stage with this bike, but it made me really excited to be able to start the race with it and to feel  the  support of all the people who wanted to share a day of the Tour with me. The bike is spectacular.”