“I had the worst start with a fall because of a dog and, at that moment, I thought it was all over. I really fell badly; my bike was broken and my arm was aching but I received the support of everyone in the team cars and from the fans on the side of the road. I was also lucky enough that Axel Merckx was on a counter-attack that helped me to get back into the leading group. Then, when the advantage grew, I made the best of the fact that Merckx wasn’t allowed to collaborate because the overall position of Kim Kirchen was under threat by Boogerd. The rhythm settled and I was able to recover and keep some strength for the finale. With three kilometers to go, I had an opportunity but Boogerd reeled me in with the other two escapees on his wheel. _ “At the end, when I saw then others coming back, I thought it was doomed. But because I was in front, I had to stay there and I told myself, ‘For better or worse, why not attack’. I couldn’t wait for the others to do so because I had already been trapped once before – at the finish in Marseilles. This is the victory that I was awaiting.”
Interview
July 27
th
2007
- 19:01
Sandy Casar - “I thought it was all over...”
