"It was a hard day. I still had a much better day than yesterday, sensation-wise. Yesterday I was dead; this morning I was a new man. In the first intermediate sprint I saw what Bora was doing, trying to harm me, so I let them go… But, later on, I missed one last kilometre on the long climb and there I lost my chance. Today didn’t take a lot out of me, I feel well after all. And of course I want to thank my teammates for the excellent job they did today, as always. I am in a better shape than yesterday. I was afraid I might not come back from yesterday’s effort, because when you go too deep on a Tour de France stage you normally end up paying for it… But today I am a new man. I hope tomorrow it’s an easier day!"
