Re Schleck and O'Grady, I think there is a delicate balance within a team that is disbanding. First, while cyclists are not monks, during a major tour, they are at work and their physical performance is essential -- it's the reason they get paid to ride. Going out for a drink showed there was no serious commitment to the rest of the team, in particular to help Frank Schleck. Second, breaking the team rules was clearly a challenge to Riis.

Overall, it's interesting to see other riders and teams take the lead in a tour. It's my first time watching the Vuelta, so I'm enjoying the landscape as well. I'm happy that the Nike machine that marks the roads is absent (I hate seeing those mechanical marks) -- let the people who made the trip to be there paint the road. The TV camera work seems a bit amateur, especially in sprint finishes, and the motorcycles and cars are sometimes dangerously close to the riders.