Chavanel: "I want the jersey"

With only two seconds off the leader's jersey at the Vuelta a España, Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel wants to take the maillot oro from American Levi Leipheimer before the race heads into the mountains. In his Cyclingnews diary, the Tour de France stage winner thought that today's stage six from Ciudad Real to Toledo could be a good opportunity for an attack.

"There is a climb just five kilometres before the finish in Toledo (see stage six profile), so I will try and go from there," he wrote on Thursday morning before taking the bus to the stage start. "You never know, do you? If I can get the jersey tonight, I can probably hold it until the stage that goes to Andorra - that would be nice!"

Chavanel moved in second position on GC after placing second in the race's first time trial on Wednesday, 12 seconds off stage winner and new overall leader Levi Leipheimer. The Frenchman admitted that he was racing the Vuelta to prepare for the World Championships held later this month in Varese, Italy. "My objective is now the World Championships time trial," he continued. "My race against the clock yesterday went really well. My legs feel very good, and are getting better every day."

Click here to read the full Vuelta diary entry by Sylvain Chavanel.