“It was pretty fun racing. There was lots of sand and dust all over the place, so it was impossible to get a clear picture of the race and you just had to ride on instinct and power. I had great legs, which is great news as this was one of the hardest stages of this Tour de France. I’m really happy with how this start of the Tour has gone for me. I feel very confident, as I am in great shape and have a very good team around me. So far, I have enjoyed this Tour de France a lot. I don’t know what happened in the race when I stopped for a nature break. I only know that it was quiet and then, somehow, I had to chase very hard along with Tim (Wellens) to regain my position in the peloton. From then on, every gravel sector was full of changes - first Visma led, then us, then Remco (Evenepoel) attacked, then me… At some point, Remco, Jonas (Vingegaard) and I went up the road. I think it was a great opportunity for us to put some time on the rest of the GC favourites and secure the podium, but Jonas refused to cooperate. I think Visma is just focusing on me and underestimating the other GC contenders. They just follow me, without thinking of Primoz [Roglic] or Remco. Afterwards, it was a shame that there were some headwind towards the finish, as that made it impossible for me to break away in the closing kilometres.”
