Meet the press, a spin and a splash in the pool on the Tour de France rest day - Gallery

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Wanty-Gobert Cycling team jump into the pool on a warm rest day at the Tour de France(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

After a tough spell through the Pyrenees, the peloton has arrived at the much-needed second rest day at the Tour de France on Monday in Nîmes. The riders took an opportunity to get out for an easy spin and met the press to talk about what they expect in the final week of the race.

Deceuninck-QuickStep's overall leader Julian Alaphilippe was on hand to speak about his performances during the first two weeks, along with his anticipation of a challenging final week in the Alps before reaching the Champs-Élysées in Paris on Sunday. While he was chatting about his dream of winning this Tour de France, his teammates such as Elia Viviani were out enjoying a ride in the warm temperatures.

Movistar's trio of Nairo Quintana, Mikel Landa and world champion Alejandro Valverde, held three separate press conferences. Tensions arose between them when Quintana fell off pace on the Col du Tourmalet at the end of stage 14 on Saturday, particularly after his team spent considerable effort setting a blistering pace on his behalf. It seems there may have been some miscommunication, as Quintana says he notified his team that he was having difficulty before the final climb.