“I’m very happy. The truth is this victory is very special for me. It’s something very good to come back to France and win [after the Critérium du Dauphiné]. I dedicate this stage to my son who will turn two in a few days. It’s been a really difficult beginning of the Tour for me. After the crash, I was a bit bitter. But mentally, I was well. I knew I was able to win a stage because physically, I felt good. I’m happy that I won today. With 5km missing, when we reached the last climb, I told myself: “Normally Schachmann goes faster than me in the downhill and on the flat”. I thought I’d be fighting for the second place. But I didn’t surrender and I ended up catching him. I’ve realized that Schachmann didn’t have much strength left after all the efforts he produced. I was confident to beat Kämna in the sprint and it happened like this. It’s incredible to win a Tour de France stage!”
