Quotes
Stage 21
1| Remco EVENEPOEL
Remco Evenepoel: "I just wanted to give it one last push"
"I just wanted to enjoy this last day as much as possible. My wife was here, my family, my parents… I just wanted to give it one last push. I had a free card from the team. It was a good group and we went to the finish line. But seeing the fast guys in the group, I knew it would be pretty difficult to beat them. I think it’s a nice day and a nice way to finish the Vuelta."
Stage 21
11| Juan AYUSO PESQUERA
Juan Ayuso: "I came with bigger ambitions"
"I think it’s different. Last year was my first Grand Tour and I finished on the third step of the podium, which was something I wouldn’t say unexpected but really really big for me. This year, I came with bigger ambitions but it wasn’t possible against a very strong team. But I think my performance has improved a lot since last year and I have to just think about that. For sure, being the best young rider is a nice reward. But we came for more. Last year, I wore the white jersey for nearly all the Vuelta but it was never mine, it was from Remco [Evenepoel]....
Stage 21
24| Sepp KUSS
Sepp Kuss: "It's life changing"
"It’s incredible. I think today was the stage that I suffered the most of the whole race, now I’m just glad it’s over. I had a feeling it would be a fast stage when I saw all those guys getting ready to attack. I suffered more today than I didi in Angliru. It was a nice way to finish off. No, I’m not different now that I’ve won La Vuelta, not at all. I’ll still be me. It’s life changing for sure. I think I’ll look back on this experience with a lot of fun memories. It’s still sinking in, I think it’s gonna take...
Stage 21
81| Kaden GROVES
Kaden Groves: "We had such a big month here in Spain"
"For sure, I didn’t imagine I would win this way. Coming into today, I really wanted to take the stage and keep the green jersey but going for a breakaway wasn’t my intention. Remco [Evenepoel] this morning was a threat for the green jersey and I suspected he might try something, not to take the jersey, but to try and win the stage. And I knew I had to follow him. It was quite interesting in the finale. I didn’t want to pull the guys in the last kilometre because obviously it would take away my sprint. We all looked at each other and then it meant that...
Stage 20
1| Remco EVENEPOEL
Remco Evenepoel: "The finish line was 10 metres too early for me"
"I’m actually happy. I think I made one mistake, or just a calculation mistake, I was surprised by the early sprint from Wout [Poels]. I came back very strong but the finish line was 10 metres too early for me. We took the last 60 kilometres in our hands. The other guys attacked very early early and I spoke on the radio and I said: ‘Look, now we control the stage ourselves, we try to make the best of it, go every climb faster and faster and we’ll see on the final climb how it happens’. I knew it was steep but I didn’t expect the cobbles to be...
Stage 20
81| Kaden GROVES
Kaden Groves: "We saved as much energy as possible for Madrid"
"A really long day today, not the ideal one for us but I’m really happy we survived the climbs. There was no real mountain but it was always up and down. Jumbo-Visma controlled things and in the end we have a nice gruppetto. I remember well the finish in Madrid from last year and after yesterday’s disappointment, I really put my thoughts to tomorrow along with the entire team. We saved as much energy as possible to hopefully have a sprint there."
Stage 20
11| Juan AYUSO PESQUERA
Juan Ayuso: "I have to come back next year!"
"When I saw the break go, we knew it was not coming back, and I had two teammates who could have a good try. Of course, on my side, being a bit selfish, it was a bit of a pity because I really wanted to try but it is what it is and I have to come back next year! On the last climb, we went all out and both Mikel Landa and Enric [Mas] tried me but I responded well. I felt good. Last year, I wore the white jersey for almost all the race but it was actually never really mine. This year, I’m gonna be able to celebrate in Madrid with it. I don’t finish on the podium...
Stage 20
24| Sepp KUSS
Sepp Kuss: "a super special moment"
"I’m super relieved! I almost made it. It was perfectly in control with the guys in the beginning. Robert [Gesink] and Dylan [van Baarle] were pulling 90% of the stage. It was a long hard day and they were up there all day so just big hats off to them, they were amazing. And then Attila [Valter] was there on the last climb and Primoz [Roglic] did a lot of work for me there on the last climb and on the flat as well with Jonas [Vingegaard]. That’s just something I never imagined. It was a super special moment to be able to relax that much in the final kilometre...
Stage 20
46| Wout POELS
Wout Poels: "I’m like a bottle of wine!"
"I think I’m like a bottle of wine, every year I get older I get better! That’s pretty amazing especially in a really hard stage and it’s amazing to beat a rider like Evenepoel in a break. I’m super happy. I knew there was a corner coming up with 350 metres so I thought if I entered that one first and went flat out to the finish, I have a pretty good sprinter as a climber… And I just can’t believe this. Today we targeted this stage. It was really hard to get in the break. You could see all these good riders with G [Geraint Thomas], Remco…...
Stage 19
24| Sepp KUSS
Sepp Kuss: "Tomorrow is gonna be a really hard day"
"These days are more stressful now. Normally, I just sit at the back and ride to the finish line but now there’s a bit more to lose. The guys helped me really well today, we were always up front and another day done. The pace was okay. Sometimes it’s better to keep a bit of tension on the legs. It was always kind of an annoying wind from the side so it wasn’t too too easy. There’s no easy day in the third week. I think in these stages where it’s more relaxed along the day, people take risk and crash in the end but we stayed out of trouble. It’s...
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