Despite a tremendous work from impressively strong Katusha team, Joaquim Rodriguez can finish the 69th edition of the Vuelta a Espana outside the podium. Sitting fourth in the general classification behind Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Chris Froome (Team Sky), slightly resigned 35-year old Catalan almost accepts the current situation, but also claims he won’t miss any opportunity once they arrive.

Rodriguez never comes into a race with an ambition to fight only for minor podium spots, but remains realistic in regards to this year’s edition of the Spanish Grand Tour.

“I’m worth more than just a fourth place, and I can still do a lot,” said always self-confident Rodriguez. “Luckily there are some interesting finishes in the last week, particularly the Ancares day. If it were up to Alberto, he would love to attack solo on the Puerto de Ancares, but after yesterday’s show it’s sure that Froome will not settle for fighting for a second position. I may try something on Ancares as well, but he is aggressive and eager to win what will make for a war every single day.”

Katusha leader agrees that Contador almost has a victory in the 2014 edition of Vuelta in his pocket. He reminds, however, that three-week events are very unpredictable affairs and that the 31-year old Spaniard has caused some major shakedowns by himself in recent years…

“It’s the safest bet to pick Alberto since he makes very solid impression and has won the most Grand Tour events in total. But forces are very changeable and so everything could happen. Until arriving to Santiago [de Compostela] we won’t know anything. Would it be easier for Contador than anyone else? Of course. But in cycling you can’t name a winner until the last minute of the race.”

Katusha team has been impressively strong during this edition of the Spanish Grand Tour and so their leader was openly displeased about his inability to finish off their tremendous work.

“If anyone has failed, it has always been me. Right now I’m going to go for a stage victory to save a race for us as it became clear that finishing on a podium would be very difficult. It would be a reward for a team for the way they worked. Katusha deserves it. But we will see. It’s going to be a tough week and previous two were nothing but an incredible war.”

Even though Rodriguez seems to be quite pessimistic in regards to his chances in the general classification, the 35-year old Catalan seems to be ready to make a good use of chances to change his current situation once they arrive.

“Isolating Alberto remains the only option. Unless he has a bad day on Acares and starts to lose time, then in a rain and bad weather everything can turn around. But as I’ve already said: the Fuente De happens once in hundred years and I don’t expect to see it happen again any time soon.”

While the hard penultimate stage of the Vuelta might end up as a battle between Contador and Froome, Rodriguez sees his own chances in the Thursday’s finish on Monte Castrove. But so does Valverde.

“They [remaining finishes] are different. It will be difficult to keep the bunch together in the Monte Castrove stage, but if we arrived together, I could use my acceleration in this kind of finish. Cartainly I’d have a good chance. On ancares, I think it will be all about overcoming physical fatigue, just like yesterday, and I can’t beat riders like Froome in that department.”

And look at the two end up remaining: "They are different. Monte Castrove think it will be very difficult to maintain a quiet bunch. If you will arrive together, I could use a blast because it's an explosive ending. And certainly have my chance. In Ancares, I think it will be more than physical fatigue as yesterday and not leave such a strong Froome ".