On the penultimate occasion we spoke to the Swedish road race champion, he had been playing the roll of 'baroudeur', as the French term the man who tries for the win the hard-way, from the all-day breakaway; the last time we spoke, he was a 'chrono-man', rolling 55 x 11 across the plains; now he's a 'sprinteur' with three top drawer finishes, right-up there with Zabel, Petacchi, Bennati and all the other guys with the fast-twitch muscles.

Week 1 of the Vuelta is in the books, and it's been full of action. Last time we spoke to Magnus, he said he was going to try and get into a good break; on Thursday he did that very thing...

I have been very busy since I wrote last. I have been training so hard it's almost been scary, but at the same time good. I felt like I was starting to go really well, then last week I backed off a bit and went out to Belgium to have a couple of runs on the cobbles. Martin and I stayed with the American Cycling Center guys in Hertsberge for 4 days.

As the final week of the year's final Grand Tour begins, there's no rest for the weary. With 3 hard days ahead, this race is anywhere from over, and with Team Liquigas leader Danilo Di Luca still in the podium hunt, big Maggy Backstedt has his work cut out for him.

It was rest day in the Vuelta and time for Pez to catch-up with our man Magnus. ‘Rest day’ – have a few beers, do a bit of shopping, take in a movie? Maybe best ask Magnus.

At this half-way point of the season, and while some riders can coast from here on, there’s still much to prove and races to be won for the rest. Our man Maggy Backstedt checks in after an incomplete Tour, with his eyes set on redemption.

"Well it’s certainly been a roller coaster week. From swinging off the back through the Ardennes stages in Belgium I decided that it was time I had a real go in this years." Team Liquigas' Magnus Backstedt checks in with PEZ after today's stage 6...

Another day, another slog across northern France - but like every other flat stage this one packed a nail-biting finish. Robbie McEwen's win was surprising not because he made it three today, but because never showed his face until it mattered...