Our group never slowed down but we saved a bit of energy. With 2km to go, I told Tony [Gallopin] and Marcel Sieberg to wait as long as possible because I felt the head wind. Sieberg always knows which one is the right wheel to follow. He's not just a good rider, he's my best friend. I know him since I started cycling. He's a really smart rider. It means a lot to have him in a team. I've seen a high number of Quick Step riders in our group but Mark Renshaw opened the sprint too early. He forced Cavendish to go early too but I wasn't confident yet because Cavendish has showed in the past that he was able to keep that speed for a long time and win that way. But I was also able to stay on his wheel and pass him. There was a possibility to have a German stage winner and a German yellow jersey today but I don't know what happened to Tony [Martin], I'm just happy with my first stage victory only on the second day of the Tour de France. Tomorrow it'll be my first time in the green jersey at the Tour de France and I will enjoy it before thinking of targeting it.
Interview
July 5
th
2015
- 19:04
André Greipel: "I told my team-mates to wait as long as possible"
