August 31: It's the little things that count

Welcome to stage 6, or the aftermath of stage 6, I should say, since it’s over.

Today we were back to the flats, with a windy, flat and hot stage that travelled 177 km. It wasn't too long of a stage, unless you were the solo rider who broke away after 10 km and spent most of the rest of the stage going it alone. My feeling on the topic is still the same – I've got to hand it to him for making the attempt, but I'm still glad it’s not me! He was brought back, as usual, and Olivier Kaisen, one of my many ten foot tall teammates (honestly, they're all gigantic), went on the attack. He didn't survive, and it all came down to the predicted field sprint.

Today I was actually very ready to get the race started and move on to the next stop, since yesterday’s hotel was less than impressive – I know that sounds like a minor thing, but when I spend half a day on a bike and the rest in a hotel, it makes a big difference on the bike part if the hotel part is nice – quiet, comfortable and with good food! Oh, and with the temps still pretty hot – cool rooms! And since our hotels change almost every day, whenever we get a bad one, it’s comforting to know that it’s only half a day until we get to try our luck again – this time hopefully for a good one!

From being the USA's top domestic rider for several years to riding for a ProTour team in the Tour de France, Chris Horner is always on the up. A talented all-rounder, Chris had a successful year Saunier Duval-Prodir in 2005, and is now riding for Davitamon-Lotto. As one of the team's key men in the Vuelta, Horner will be detailing his progress in this special diary for Cyclingnews during the race. Australia UK USA