Alberto Contador managed to finish today's especially difficult stage, overcoming the consequences of yesterday's crash that caused extensive bruises to his left leg. After the 200 miles of racing between Contres and Limoges, the outlook is better and the danger of having to abandon seems to have passed.

Alberto shares his insights from the Astana hotel:

“The day has been more or less as expected. I knew it would be a difficult day, but as I warmed up, I was better able to pedal. Still, I couldn't pedal my normal rhythm. I survived a long day, and now I have to work with the ‘masseur’ to see if in two or three days I can fully recover.

Continuing the race is assured. I will not go home, because today was the most important test. I've been able to finish, and I can still improve, so I’ll continue on the race. We are doing very high average speeds, and there is great tension throughout the entire stage. We must be alert at all times, so it's like a training session ahead of July's Tour.

The rider who I think is the strongest now is Jens Voigt. While many are going well, he is the one to whom I pay more attention."

Interview courtesy Team Astana and edited by Specialized.