“We were in the bunch and then suddenly something came up in the middle from nowhere, the guys in front of me braked and we touched wheels a little bit, touched shoulders, but luckily I escaped the concrete thing. I reacted on instinct and was very lucky to avoid the crash. It’s a natural part of flat stages. The bunch is always together, quiet, always calm, and that’s when danger can come before you know it, when you’re relaxed and you never know what will happen. It was a nice feeling to ride with the Yellow Jersey again, I enjoyed it. It was a good start to the day, as I could have a talk around in the bunch. Anyway, the best part is I could roll into the finish safe and sound on a tricky stage. It was less stressful than Torino, though, as things at the front always remained relatively calm. It’s incredible that Mark [Cavendish] got his 35th stage victory. I saw him after the finish line and he told me not to break his record, but I think it will actually stand for a long time.”
