Quotes
Stage 20
8| Jay VINE
Vine: "Unfortunately, we came up short"
Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): "Winning the polka dot jersey is a bittersweet victory, I guess. The goal was to try to win La Vuelta. Personally, it's really nice, but today I didn't really cared about the points, it was all-in to try and win this race. Unfortunately, we came up short. Unfortunately, the whole team has been struggling with some sickness for about 10 days now. We haven't been able to really show what we are capable of like I think we did earlier in the race, but we came out swinging, we put it all on the line and we tried."
Stage 20
228| Matthew RICCITELLO
Riccitello: "It couldn’t have gone any better"
Matthew Riccitello (Israel Premier Tech): “The white jersey was a goal going into the stage. If it didn’t happen, it had been a good Vuelta up until this point anyway. I went into the stage like I had nothing to lose. It was a really hard day all day, which I think suited me well. [Giulio] Pellizzari has been super strong all race. I think everything went perfect for me today. All I had to do was follow the wheels and hang as long as I could. I’m happy with how the legs have felt these three weeks and this last week in particular. To finish with the white...
Stage 19
45| Giulio PELLIZZARI
Pellizzari: "I can't wait to fight tomorrow"
Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): "It’s a really good Vuelta, I’m enjoying a lot with my teammates. Today was a stressful day, tomorrow it’s finally the last [mountain stage] and I can't wait to fight with the team. Today it was very windy, everybody wanted to be in front for the last 30 kilometers. In the end nothing happened and we have good legs, so we are happy and motivated for tomorrow. There is a clear goal: we want to try to be on the podium with Jai [Hindley] and we will give everything. I’m too far for go on the podium but Jai...
Stage 19
8| Jay VINE
Vine: "I kept my powder dry for tomorrow, the last chance to try and take red"
Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): “It was supposed to be just an easy bunch sprint day but it turned out to be more mentally challenging than just that. There was not echelons but crosswind, nervousness, for the last two and a half hours which was mentally pretty tough. I was doing the work when it was relatively easier, saving the bigger guys that could put out more power for the end and keeping my powder dry for tomorrow, the last chance to try and take red. The whole lan [is to go for La Roja with Joao Almeida]. There’s no secret that a couple of other teams...
Stage 19
11| Jonas VINGEGAARD HANSEN
Vingegaard: "I’m still in the lead and I’m happy with it"
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike): “I wouldn’t call it winning a bunch sprint… I took a few seconds there. We were in a good position so we went for the intermediate sprint. It was improvised. We just saw that we were in the front and we said: ‘Why not try?’ If we could get four seconds, then it was worth it. It’s not a lot but I’m still in the lead and I’m happy with it.”
Stage 19
27| Mads PEDERSEN
Pedersen: "We were beaten by better"
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek): "No, not really [surprised that Jonas Vingegaard did the intermediate sprint]. I knew it would happen and we talked together. There were bonifications in that sprint, and he needs the seconds more than I need the points right now. It didn't make a lot of sense [for me] to push there. With this hard final sprint with such an uphill in the end, I kind of expected it to be like this. Of course it’s a pity not to win but Jasper [Philipsen] and his team did a perfect lead-out. Today we were beaten by better."
Stage 19
71| Jasper PHILIPSEN
Philipsen: "I pushed through"
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck): "It was a really tough finish line, after eleven days not going this deep, it definitely hurts. We knew how the finale was, rising and then a bit more flat in the final 250 metres. The team set me with an amazing timing and it was all out in the final kilometre. It’s definitely a team job. All Vuelta already, Timo [Kielich] has been super strong, and also Jonas [Rickaert] riding super fast, super good. I was struggling on the wheels but I saw the finish line and I pushed through. It was really nice. Of course with this team we...
Stage 18
45| Giulio PELLIZZARI
Pellizzari: "We'll try to put one rider on the podium"
Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe): "I think that it was too short for me today. I was a bit tired after yesterday and I was expecting better, but it was important to save the result, and we keep fighting. In the end, yesterday I took 30 seconds [on my rival for the white jersey] and today I lost ten seconds, so it's good. There is still one mountain stage, and we will see how the legs are there. We are both in the top 5 of the general classification [with my teammate Jai Hindley], but for sure we will try to put one man on the podium."
Stage 18
8| Jay VINE
Vine: "Nothing more that I could do"
Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): “Time-wise, probably (it was one of my best time trials), but I think my best TT feeling-wise is still last year’s Chrono des Nations. But yes, to come 2nd to Ganna it’s incredible, just beaten by one of the best time trialists in the world. Nothing more that I could do. I was looking down at the watts and not being able to go any faster. I looked at the TV before I was setting off and he was doing 67 (kph) I think at one point. I don’t think I even got close to that number! So yes, he was smooth. Stage 20 is my next...
Stage 18
63| Filippo GANNA
Ganna: "I pushed without thinking about numbers or anything else"
Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers): "I think I suffered more during the last three hours in the hotseat than on the bike (laughing). I did not find the correct rhythm in the first part, and then in the final part I pushed without thinking about numbers or anything. I’m really happy for today. This last week has started really well for us but it’s not done, we have some other days to try to fight for the best."
"After my big crash in the Tour de France, it has not been easy to be back on the bike. Every time I was on the bike, I tried to do my best to be...
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