Arroyo sees Di Luca as the number one

By Monika Prell

David Arroyo (Caisse d'Epargne) has a clear favourite for this year's Giro d'Italia. "[Danilo] Di Luca is the number one favourite. He is the strongest one and has a good team. Furthermore, he is riding very coolly. Mazzoleni will go for a podium place and Simoni will also be in front, he is a veteran and knows the race well," noted the Spanish rider to EFE Radio.

The 27 year-old is content about his performance in the Giro. He has been given liberty by his directeur sportif so that he can fight for a good overall classification and go for stage wins.

"I am very happy about being seventh in the general classification and how things are going at the moment. I don't have problems. The stage of the Tre Cime de Lavaredo was very positive, even if at the end I had bonked and I was feeling very bad. I lost three minutes in the last two kilometres. It was a long and very hard stage, and in the end we had to pay," noted the cyclist from Talavera de la Reina.

He is looking forward to the stage of the Zoncolan, one of the hardest mountains of Europe, which has gradients that touch 22 percent. "We will see what will happen on Wednesday with the Zoncolan. The others say it is very hard, even harder than the Angliru. I will try not to lose too much time and to save my seventh place." (Read Gilberto Simoni reconnoitres Zoncolan for more on the Zoncolan.)

About Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval) who is ahead of him in the general classification, Arroyo emphasizes the abilities of the young Italian. "Riccò is only 23 years-old, who rides very well and who is doing a great Giro. He could be one of the important riders of the future."

Arroyo enjoyed his rest day. "I disconnected a bit from competition, read, played some video games and took a walk."