"It was different for sure [to ride an ITT with a leader’s jersey to defend]. Actually, I felt surprisingly relaxed. It’s only stage 10 and I knew there’s still so much racing to come and I was just happy starting in the red jersey. It’s the first time I’ve started last in a time trial, so it’s the first time no-one passes me in a time trial. I just tried to keep it simple, enjoy the day and push as hard as possible on the pedals! Every time I passed a time check, Addy [Engels], the director in the car, just said: ‘good job’. So I figured maybe I’m not doing so well because there was no reference… But I felt good and I’m happy with how it went. It’s still a good avantage [on GC] but with what’s to come, one minute can be lost in one stage or even one climb. There are beautiful stages coming and a lot can happen."
