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Interviews
Jens Voigt - "I’m so happy I could ride the stage backwards...!"
At the end of the 230 kilometer stage to Montelimar - the longest of the 2006 Tour de France - there were just two riders in contention for the stage win. Jens Voigt held off a late charge by the new overall leader, Oscar Pereiro and declared minutes afterwards the he still had enough energy to get back on his bike and "ride the stage backwards".
“We were desperate for a win, desperate for a real result, something to cheer us up after all the crashes we’ve had. At the moment only two riders in CSC have not crashed yet and so after all that bad luck we needed to force some luck back to our side.
“In the finale I was quite happy because I dropped Sylvain Chavanel and Manuel Quinziato. Both of them had been really strong, especially at the start of the breakaway and I was afraid of them. Tactically it worked out quite well. They were watching each other and then we dropped them and then I was quite sure I could beat Pereiro in the sprint because he showed some signs of weakness or fatigue before. I thought I would beat him in the sprint because it seemed as though he was just happy to be on my wheel and gain as much time as possible for the yellow jersey.
“You cannot believe how great I feel. I’m actually not tired at all! I’m so happy that I could get back on my bike now and ride the stage backwards!
“We’ve tried in the time trial and in the mountains and in breakaways. This is the fourth time I’ve been in an escape group this year and it’s never worked out until today when everything just fell into place perfectly.”
Sylvain Chavanel – “I ask myself if I can do it one day…”
Sylvain Chavanel was the French representative in the five-man escape group that scampered ahead of the peloton at the 21km mark in stage 13. He had the energy to help establish a solid advantage that grew to almost half an hour but in the finale he just couldn’t respond to the attacks of Jens Voigt and Oscar Pereiro.
“I wonder if one day I’ll manage to win a stage in the Tour de France. For quite a few days now I’ve been trying and for once I’ve been in a good breakaway… and I finished third. I’m really disappointed.
“We were very serene all day, maintaining a rhythm of around 45km/h which wasn’t too tiring. For the moment, it didn’t go my way but I’ll carry on trying. I’m well down in the general classification so I just have to try again.”
Oscar Pereiro – “I couldn’t image that I would take the yellow jersey…”
He may have been beaten in the sprint for stage honors but Oscar Pereiro has a yellow jersey to show for his efforts in the biggest escape in the Tour de France for five years. He and three others finished over 29 minutes ahead of the peloton that contained the former race leader Floyd Landis. After starting the day with a deficit of 28’50” to the American, the overall lead seemed completely out of reach but strange things can happen at the Tour!
“This morning I couldn’t imagine that I would take the yellow jersey. It’s surely the best thing that can happen to a rider at the Tour de France so this was an exceptional day. Even during the stage – even in the final kilometers – I wasn’t thinking about it because the gap was only 28 minutes.
“I’m really happy because we had a really difficult beginning to the Tour because of the crash of Alejandro. I dedicate this jersey to him. Now I think that the Tour is much better for my team. From now on, I’ll at least try and retain the overall lead at least for tomorrow and we’ll see what happens in the Alps.
“I have won a stage already in last year’s Tour so today’s big coup was to claim the overall lead and wear the yellow jersey.”
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Saturday 15 July 2006 
