On the scene for stages 15, 16 and 17 of the Vuelta

The stage 15 finish at Lagos de Covadonga featured lakes, fog, and an inflatable press room! I’d seen press rooms in tents before, but this was the first one I’ve seen that looked like a bouncy house.

Walking down to my viewing spot two kilometers from the finish, I got a glimpse of one of the lakes before the fog rolled in.

Stage winner Thibaut Pinot had already been out front on his own for several kilometers when he crested the steep pitch 2k from the finish.

Just 30 seconds later, a thick patch of fog obscured the S. Yates/Quintana group.

Brambilla and Adam Yates:

Wheelie king Ivan Garcia Cortina:

The Basque fans cheered for all the riders, but they were particularly enthusiastic when they saw one of their own come by.

Omar Fraile and Imanol Erviti looked they were having fun!

After the finish, the ride back to the team buses included an uphill stretch above the lake, but luckily for the gruppetto riders, there was a long line of motos to help out with some uphill tows.

The finish of the stage 16 time trial was at the Oscar Freire Sport Complex, and Oscarito himself (seen here with Juan Antonio Flecha) was on hand to witness the proceedings.

It was even foggier at the Balcon de Bizkaia finish than it had been at Lagos de Covadonga. From where the photographers were standing, we could barely see Michael Woods cross the finish line.

Exhausted second-place finisher Dylan Teuns was helped past the spot where Woods was collapsed over his bike.

Race staffers ran laps to push the drained riders up the hill from the finish line to where the soigneurs were waiting.