Rolf Aldag - "It was amazing to watch it unfold like a script..."

“We didn’t expect that he would be able to go so long on his own but he lived up to his promise and did everything that he was told today. It was a similar scenario to the day I was in an escape to Morzine in 2003: it was Saturday, the start of the second week – the riders were super motivated – and all the big guns were always going to start firing. _ “We asked Linus to get in the move and take it really, really easy in the escape. We didn’t want him leading or showing how strong he was; we wanted him to stay calm, remain at the back and then we had a plan for the last climb. _ “I said before the stage, ‘You can get 10 or 12 minutes and then the peloton will chase and bring it back to four or five minutes then they’d climb steadily but someone one from the break is going to make history and that can be you!’ It was amazing to watch it unfold like a script. There was a bit of luck but it was also what we planned and it’s the perfect outcome. _ “He feels like he can’t even step on the bike tomorrow but nobody can take anything away from him. It must be a super feeling to have the jersey and start the big alpine stage in yellow, nobody cares how he finishes tomorrow.”