And back to the real world - or as close as cycling gets to the real world. The Vuelta is turning out to be a lot more interesting than expected. Most everyone predicted that Roberto Heras would do a Lance Armstrong imitation and run away with the title. Instead Denis Menchov grabbed the leader's jersey tight and held on to it tightly for quite a while, performing spectularly better than expected in the time trial and in the mountains.

Unfortunately, all good things must end and Sunday afternoon he could only plug along and watch the other favorites pull away from him. 1999 was the last time a non-Spaniard won the Vuelta and it looks like that record will stand another year.

As of Stage 16, 140 riders were still in the race, a whopping 57 having dropped out already. The Vuelta always has a high drop-out rate, because so many riders use it as training for the upcoming Worlds. But some nasty crashes this year and as the nasty weather - as well as the ever-popular "stomach problems" - have done their part this year as well

Speaking of the weather - the first stages were much too hot, the riders said. Then it was too rainy. It reminds me of the farmers - it's always too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry. But somehow the job always gets done!