Taaramäe: “I dreamed about leading a Grand Tour”

Rein Taaramäe (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux): “I have a very smart sports director, Valerio Piva, and yesterday we spoke about trying to win the stage and take the leader’s jersey. I believed a lot in myself today because I’m in a good shape. It was all about the peloton catching us or not. When I saw that we were gonna do it, I was wondering how good Joe Dombrowski and Kenny Elissonde would be. The others were also really good but I know Joe and Kenny are big quality. But I believed in myself, because I already beat them. When I won a stage in the Giro (2016), Joe was 3rd. And now we were fighting against each other again. It’s huge [to lead La Vuelta] because I’m 34 years old and I don’t have many years left. I had won a stage in La Vuelta, in the Giro, but I dreamed about leading a Grand Tour, to enjoy the jersey at least for some days and feel how it is. I was close in the Giro when Dombrowski won stage 4. I’m very very happy that I’ve done it today.”

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