“It was a good day for us but I don’t think that the teams of the sprinters did their job to make us happy. It was in their interest and it was normal that they do a good job. For us it was a good day and, as it was a flat stage, and it was welcome because yesterday’s stage was very hard.
“Yesterday evening when I came back to the hotel the whole team really congratulated me but I said to them, ‘It’s because of you...’
“Everyone is happy and I feel that the guys are really proud to ride for this jersey so I have to do... try something. I’m not obliged to keep the jersey but I must give all I can to hold onto it.
“This is my ninth Tour de France. Since 2003, I’ve been doing this race and obviously I’m not able to win it. I’ll give all that I’m able to – as I’ve said since I took the jersey – but when I saw the guys who were just behind me in the overall classification, when I saw the different stages that are yet to come – I don’t know how I could keep on to the lead.”
Interview
July 17
th
2011
- 18:20
Thomas Voeckler – “There are higher mountains yet to come...”
