Several riders and sports directors spoke to Lavuelta.com at the start of stage 15 of the Vuelta a Espana. Below you can read what they had to say.

° Fernando Escartin (Vuelta technical director): " I think a break can make it today. The last climb is a long ascent with an easy first part but the 2.7 last kilometers at 14 pc should suit a rider like Purito ideally."

° Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin): "I was really tired yesterday. But I feel better this morning. There are only two really hard days left and the third week should be easier. My strategy is simple. I must try to lose as little time as possible in the days to come and take it back in the time trial. I know the others are attacking me but I see it as a compliment."

° Christian Guiberteau (Giant- Apecin team director): "Tom was really, really tired last night. But it was a long stage, it was cold. He had the chance to sleep a little bit more this morning. Now we must be realistic, Tom is probably going to lose more time and we will have to see if he can keep enough margin to take it back in the time trial. Given the course, I think he could take back between two and three minutes in the time trial. We'll have to see."

° Neil Stephens (Orica-Greenedge team director): "The verdict is nearing. We saw yesterday that the leaders did not take a lot of time off each other. Quintana is back. It's good for the interest of the race and it's good for cycling. Today is hard, tomorrow even harder. Obviously the leading teams will have to attack Dumoulin again if they want to win the Tour of Spain. We'll be playing a waiting game. Esteban was there yesterday, he only lost a couple of seconds. He rode a cool-headed race yesterday and that's what we expect from him."

° Tristan Hoffman (Tinkof-Saxo team director): "Rafal lost a little bit of time on Quintana and Rodriguez yesterday but he was there. He's solid and very consistent. The podium remains a dream but who knows. We don't have the team to control the race and I was expecting Katusha to be a little more active yesterday. But maybe Rodriguez is not so well. It's obvious the riders who rode the Tour are all struggling a bit. But now everything could change today or tomorrow. If Dumoulin gets dropped in one of the first climbs, Movistar could decide to attack from all sides and we'd have an entirely different conclusion. The verdict will fall in the next two days."

° Stephane Rossetto (Cofidis): "I'm fine. Yesterday I rode my own race at my pace. I was not capable to follow on the last acceleration but I still finished in the top 20. Hopefully it will go on like this. I had never gone that far in a race before but I had always been told my qualities of endurance made me a rider for grand Tours. It seems to be the case. I'm learning and enjoying myself and I think a Top 15 is possible."

° Didier Rous (Cofidis team director): "Stephane keeps riding the race we're expecting him to ride. He does it at his own pace and it should be enough to keep him in a good position as he's also a pretty good time trial specialist. Dani Navarro is getting better. His pain in the lower back is healing and we hope to have a chance to put him in the breakaway today. Even if we lost Nacer Bouhanni, we're having a good Vuelta. As for Nacer, he's feeling better and better and I believe he will be at the worlds."

° Dirk de Mol (Trek Factory team director): "The strategy remains the same today. Take the breakaway with Zoidl, Zubeldia or Frank Schleck. Of the three, he seems to be the one in the best shape. He recovered from his crash. His morale took a blow because he was going for the GC but I convinced him a stage win would be even better. Today Katusha hold the key and they will decide what happens with the breakaway."

° Jean-Pierre Heyndercikx (MTN-Qhubeka team director): "Louis Meintjes keeps amazing us. Yesterday the last climb did not suit him and still he did well and is now 12th in the GC. The Top 10 is now an objective for him but he knows that the two stages ahead of us and the time trial will force him to take some time back. His team-mates, by contrast, are all pretty exhausted."

° Kenny Elissonde (FDJ): "I was happy with my stage yesterday on roads that did not favour me. My team-mates looked after him like I was a big leader and it's really nice. What I'm looking for is steeper climbs to express myself and these two stages suit me fine in that respect."

° Rik Van Slycke (Etixx-Quick Step): "Gianluca Brambilla who was 9th overall yesterday morning had a bad day, suffering from stomach pains and his efforts from the previous day. Max Bouet rode a strange stage. He punctured at the worst possible time but was able to return into the peloton. But to see the break go without him hurt him a bit. He told me he was no good and wanted to stop. Actually he didn't understand how hard he had worked to come back. In the finale, he left these thoughts behind him, finishing in the top 30. He's going to finish this Vuelta in top shape and will be a major chance for us in the Tour of Lombardia."

° Giuseppe Martinelli (Astana): "Fabio Aru is obsessed by the time he must take back from Tom Dumoulin in the next two days. But it's true of Purito and Quintana too if they want to win he Vuelta. Katusha hold the key because they need to win a stage. Astana showed yesterday that we were doing well. There are only seven riders left but two who are not into the limelight do a hell of a job, Zeits and Vanotti, who controlled the race for nearly 100 km yesterday."

° Jose Azevedo (Katusha): "To win the stage, you have to control the race for the first 70 km which are extremely hard. Our priority is for Purito to take time off Dumoulin before the time trial. I think Purito must have at least two minutes over Dumoulin before the Burgos time trial."

° Fabrice Jeandesboz (Europcar): "I'm surprised by myself, I'm in a great dynamic. After the two past years when I almost couldn't race because of fractures, I really enjoy myself. I also confirm what I knew: in a past Tour of Burgos I was capable of following Rodriguez until the last kilometer in a hard climb. The Vuelta is not over yet but I feel I'm giving a new turn to my career. If it goes on like this, I might have brighter ambitions for the future."