Quotes

Stage 21

134| Remco EVENEPOEL

Evenepoel: "I've tried to give the most in every stage"

Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates): "I never thought about being the most combative rider, I just did my race. I’ve tried to give the most in every stage, both to help the team and for myself. In the end, it’s a prize I’m very happy to get and I can only celebrate it. I think the team has been racing at a very high level: the podium with Juan [Ayuso], the team standings, two stage wins… I think we can be very happy. To be on the podium at 19 years old in a Grand Tour is very important. Let’s keep working and the best shall come."

...

Stage 21

167| Mads PEDERSEN

Pedersen: "above all expectations"

Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo): "Again today my team did a really really good work. We had a really good position in the last corner. We hoped that the bunch would do kind of a stop and go, so we could come a bit from behind. UAE did it really perfect and managed to have almost the whole team in the last corner. They did like a Pro Cycling Manager sprint, so big congrats to them. Then, I just didn’t have the legs to past. I’m just super super happy for this Vuelta, it was above all the expectations we came here with. To have the green jersey here and three wins...

Stage 21

81| Richard CARAPAZ

Carapaz: "It makes you want to return"

Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers): "Until the last day it has been a hard fought Vuelta, we were still flying on the circuit. The truth is we leave very happy: a jersey, three stages, nothing bad for me! I’m very happy after such a special and different Vuelta. It makes you want to return and to repeat it. Here in La Vuelta, the best win was yesterday’s [stage 20]. It has been incredible, for real. I was able to manage my effort and to finish alone with the king of the mountains jersey, it was spectacular."

Stage 21

177| Juan Sebastian MOLANO BENAVIDES

Molano: "You can’t imagine such happiness"

Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates): "The truth is I’m still processing it. I knew I had to do a good job for Ackie [Pascal Ackermann], I had very good legs today and so did he. In the end, I launched with 300m to go, like I usually do in a lead-out. The team did a perfect job. I looked on the left and I saw Pedersen coming, and I never thought about stopping. I’m very happy and grateful to the team. I want to dedicate this victory to my mother, I love her so much, my brothers, all my family. I’m very moved. You can’t imagine such happiness....

Stage 21

134| Remco EVENEPOEL

Evenepoel: "It's history for my team, my country, myself"

Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl): "Now it really sinks in, it’s really official. Already yesterday the emotions were quite high. We were actually there but we still had to finish the race safe and in a good way. I think we did perfect. We enjoyed as much as possible and now we can really enjoy. I didn’t have much time to think in Madrid because there it was a really technical course. It was getting more nervous every lap. I’m happy we survived here. It’s history for team, for my country, for myself. I think we can be really proud of what we...

Stage 20

174| Juan AYUSO PESQUERA

Ayuso: "Being on the podium is incredible"

Juan Ayuso: "I was focused this morning, now I'm thinking about what just happened and I just want to enjoy it. It’s amazing. I have come to this Vuelta to learn, it is my first Grand Tour, at 19 years old. At the beginning of the year I wasn't even thinking of racing here. And to go from that to being on the podium is incredible. I have learned to suffer. I've never had to mentally endure as much as a Grand Tour requires, and I think that for next year it will make me a much better rider. I felt good and I wanted to win the stage, and we have worked for it. Marc Soler...

Stage 20

81| Richard CARAPAZ

Carapaz: "I’m very moved"

Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers): "Yes [it’s the best of the three victories]. I was targeting this day, I knew it was very important. We knew it was a super hard stage because there were so many things at play, especially in the GC. I rode my way, being smart, making my moves when I had to. Then I enjoyed a lot of support from the breakaway riders, it was very important for me, and in the end I knew I could attack in the finale and win here. The truth is I’m very moved, it’s a very nice victory for me. Above all, I think it shows the type of rider I...

Stage 20

134| Remco EVENEPOEL

Evenepoel: "It's the best year I can wish for"

Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl): "I don’t know what’s going through my head and my body right now. It’s amazing. All the critics and the bad comments I received after last year, I think I answered with my pedals. I’ve been working so hard to come here in the best shape possible. To now win this Vuelta is just amazing. It’s actually the first Grand Tour I start healthy. I’m really happy to be the first guy to win a Grand Tour for Patrick [Lefevere] as a CEO and for Belgium, for my country, for my teammates, for my parents, for...

Stage 19

81| Richard CARAPAZ

Carapaz: "Tomorrow will be a very crazy day"

Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers): "It was quite a fast day. When we caught the break, I knew there were 5 KOM points up for grabs so I took them because tomorrow is gonna be an important day. I think tomorrow will be a very crazy day. There are many things at play and in our case there is the KOM. Now that we have the jersey and I can defend it, so I will try to do it, to take most of the points and to keep it until Madrid. Today hasn’t been such a good day for [Carlos Rodriguez]. He suffered a lot at the beginning and the heat also made it a tough day. I think he...

Stage 19

134| Remco EVENEPOEL

Evenepoel: "Tomorrow is the last day"

Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team): "This was the perfect race. It was nice to have Trek controlling all day. I promised Mads [Pedersen] to control the breakaway with him, so we did our job. Then, it was up to them to control the breakaway and try to go for the stage. I think what Mads is showing is something really impressive. It was actually quite a hard climb, so big congrats to Trek for today. [In the last kms, I was thinking of] a crash. Getting inside the 3km in case I would get a flat tire or a bike problem. It’s just to stay safe, because tomorrow...

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