Stage 21
21| Miguel Angel LOPEZ MORENO
Lopez: "We’ve attacked, attacked, and we didn’t stop attacking"
Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team): “[The most aggressive award] is meritorious. We feel at ease and conscious of what we’ve been. We’ve attacked, attacked, and we didn’t stop attacking to make La Vuelta a show. I’m not disappointed, no. Well, I would have preferred another result, but I’m not disappointed because I fought from the start until the end. I went hard on my terrain, the mountains, that’s all, and I think we faced some difficulties. We’ll have to keep trying.”
Stage 21
1| Alejandro VALVERDE
Valverde: “It’s something incredible after 16 years”
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team): “I’m super happy, it’s something incredible after 16 years, so many years fighting at the highest level, and finishing second this time. So I’m super happy. It’s been a very beautiful La Vuelta and… Maybe the worst moment was the crash and the misunderstandings that followed. [About the World Championships] We’ll have to see, it’s very complicated. You go there with the best intentions but we have to be realistic and we know the route suits other riders better than me but the main thing is...
Stage 21
13| Geoffrey BOUCHARD
Bouchard: “The podium in Madrid, with this crowd, it’s awesome”
Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R La Mondiale): “I came to the race a bit like a spectator. And in the end, to climb on the podium in Madrid with this crowd, it’s awesome. The jersey wasn’t a goal at the beginning, it came as the race went on. It’s great to have come through. I arrived quite late, I needed to prove I deserve to be a professional. It’s a first success and it motivates me to keep working and improving to get victories and other interesting results.”
Stage 21
131| Primož ROGLIC
Roglic: “A nice achievement”
Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma): “It’s a great feeling to win this race, and to be accompanied by another Slovenian is even better. It’s really nice for our cycling. I just tried to finish today again. We’re writing a bit of history. I’ll only know once I finish my career [if it’s the beginning before more successes]. But to win one Grand Tour is already a nice achievement.”
Stage 21
65| Fabio JAKOBSEN
Jakobsen: “This win takes me over the Moon”
Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick Step): “I didn’t expect to make it to Madrid, to be honest. It’s my first Grand Tour and it was very hard, I suffered a lot. My first win was a relief, but this one is overwhelming. To make it to Madrid and win here, it takes me over the Moon. It’s like a dream come true. I wasn’t part of the elite before but now I think we can say I’m part of the top 10 sprinters in the World. It started when we entered the last 50 kilometres, to keep the break under control. We had to fight for position in the last kilometres....
Stage 20
131| Primož ROGLIC
Roglic: “Until now, I was only smiling only in secret”
Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma): “I’m just relieved. It was the last really hard day in the mountains. A Slovenian won again, it’s nice. The closer we get to the end, the harder it gets. I stayed in my position and I’m really happy. It was a really hard day for us. I crashed quite hard yesterday. But we’ve showed in the past days we are really strong and we showed it again today. Everyone did an amazing job. Tomorrow is the last day, I’m looking forward to it. Until now, I was only smiling only in secret. It’s a nice feeling not to have...
Stage 20
177| Tadej POGACAR
Pogacar: “I never imagined this”
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates): “It definitely took patience. My legs felt good but the morale wasn’t that high in the first part of the stage. Then I saw everybody was uncomfortable with the cold and the rain. I felt good in the last climb and I attacked. Lopez had done a big effort and I chose the right moment. I had good support on the road from Slovenian fans, from my family and from the team car. They gave me incredible motivation, and I went full gas for last hour. They make it easier for me. It was incredible, with so many emotions. I don’t realise...
Stage 19
63| Rémi CAVAGNA
Cavagna: “This is deliverance”
Rémi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step) : “I suffered a lot at the end of the race. The last 25 kilometres were terrible. It was pretty much headwind. I wanted to go faster but I couldn’t. I was afraid they would come back and in the end it worked out. I looked behind in the last straight and I saw they were in the corner. Then, I said, ok, they’re too far, I’ve won. Every day we try to do our best with the team. It’s already our fourth stage win. We were riding for Philippe [Gilbert] today. A big group went, I followed and I didn’t...
Stage 18
75| Sergio Andres HIGUITA GARCIA
Higuita: “Every day is a whole different story”
Sergio Higuita (EF Education First): “Yesterday, when I didn’t have the legs to be in the echelons and fight for the top10 of the GC, we decided to save energy for today and to relax as much as possible, as if it were a recovery ride. It was great for me, as I was feeling really tired before the stage - I even fell asleep on the bus! This helped me relieve some pressure off me and take the start today with renewed energies. Today’s stage was perfect for me: I could either win from a breakaway or from a sprint. Climbing Cotos I felt extraordinary good...
Stage 18
21| Miguel Angel LOPEZ MORENO
Lopez: “I’m closer to the podium now”
Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team): “I didn’t enjoy any collaboration [of my rivals] during my attacks. Nevertheless, I’ve managed to get closer to the podium today. I’ve also regained the white jersey as best young rider, and it's the last year I can win this. There is a lot of terrain left, with two interesting stages on which, being strong, we can pull off something interesting.”
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