“I want to thank my team again. It was a really hard day and I probably raced in a very frustrating way for other competitors, but they are so strong that I had to do it that way. I had to throw away the stage and focus on Sagan and on the fight for the points classification. I left everything I had on the road to secure it. Am I close to winning the green jersey? First I have to overcome tomorrow stage. I think, if the conditions are correct, I will only have to finish it off on Sunday.”
