“I enjoyed it. It wasn’t necessarily part of the plan this morning. I was supposed to stay with the pack and see if a big group broke away. In the end, there were three of us, and a rider from Uno-X [Fredrik Dversnes] immediately dropped back, so it ended up being just the two of us [with Sinuhé Fernandez]. We had to manage the situation. We rode as a pair almost as if we were training: taking it easy until the final hour, and then at the end we gave it our all to try and play with the peloton. I think they eased off a bit midway through the race. That allowed us to gain two minutes for free, and it really worked in our favour.
I rode the last fifteen kilometres on my own. It felt a bit long. But you have to fight right to the end because a victory in a Grand Tour is something you have to earn. I was caught three kilometres from the finish. That happens often. But I enjoyed it.
I’m certain it’ll work out one day. If I don’t believe in it, nobody else will believe in me. Every time, I believe in it, and I try to come up with the right strategy to maximise my chances.”
