Chavanel: 'Climbs were perfect for me'
It was another unforgettable day for Team Quick Step in the Tour de France. After his splendid victory in the stage at Spa, today Chavanel scored another double, making his mark at the high altitude arrival at Station des Rousses after a race dominated by Team Quick Step. In fact, Chavanel’s victory was carefully constructed step by step with the participation of Jerome Pineau, who managed to get into the early breakaway and gather a good number of points for the polka dot jersey.
“When Sylvain passed me, I understood right away that no one would be able to catch him. He was pedalling great. I’m proud of him and of the team. Tactically we were perfect. His victory also belongs to us”, explained Pineau, who also captured the prize for most combative rider.
“It’s been an incredible day" - explains Chavanel – "I can`t believe it! This morning I woke up fresh and mentally serene and everything we discussed in the technical meeting came about. I got a strong start at the base of the last climb with the goal of trying to win the stage. Then I had a difficult moment before catching up with Jerome. He tried to help me, but he was really tired. My only thought was of winning, the yellow jersey is a consequence. I love these climbs that you can do working the gears. They’re perfect for me! I’d like to dedicate this victory to my family, you all know how important it is to me and on the team there’s a terrific atmosphere. These next days we’ll see. Tomorrow it’s going to be hard getting over the climbs, but in the past I’ve done well on important climbs. Monday is the rest day and so I intend to give it all tomorrow. I don’t want to have any regrets. This Tour is already great as it is.”