Oscar Freire – “It was my chance today...”

“Today was a different sprint. Everybody was tired and also there was no [Mark] Cavendish in the final so it was a very good chance to win a race. In the last kilometer I was in a good position but the speed wasn’t all that quick but I didn’t want to get surprised by somebody. We started the sprint just 250 meters before the finish and it was a little close but in the last 100 meters I believed I had it won. I did a good sprint. _ “The green jersey competition is so complicated. It would be strange to be challenging for it and not to win a stage. Yesterday I said how frustrated I was becoming but there’s a sense of relief now. Okay, you don’t have to win a stage to win the points category but it is better. _ “Today I got a little bit of space to move and I’m pleased that my legs could carry me to the line. The Tour is very long and the last week is very important when you start thinking about the green jersey so there’s still a lot of work to do. We’ve had four or five sprints and Cavendish was always the strongest; there was nothing I could do against him and now, without him there, it was much better. The sprinters were very tired in the final and it was my chance today.”