Greg Van Avermaet: "Yellow jersey is exceptional for a rider like me"

“In the bus this morning, I said that nobody wants to suffer in the first week of the Tour. Nobody wants to control. That's why Jasper Stuyven almost won stage 2. That's why teams like Movistar and Astana wanted to have someone in the breakaway today. I picked the right moment when I made the front group of nine riders but the key point was when Thomas De Gendt and I attacked because no one else wanted to contribute to increase the gap beyond seven minutes. But De Gendt and I made it reach fourteen minutes [with Andriy Grivko riding along]. After I dropped De Gendt, the last 17km were about not crashing. The asphalt was melting and it was very technical. I stayed focused. I knew I was going to take the yellow jersey but only if I was not going to crash. However, I was able to enjoy the last kilometer, which was strange because as a sprinter, you can't enjoy that much, it's too quick. The great feeling is a last minute thing, totally different than riding the last kilometer to get the yellow jersey in the biggest race of the year. The yellow jersey is more important than the stage win today. Last year, the stage was special because it was my first one. For my type of riders, it's hard to have the yellow jersey: I'm not the best sprinter, I'm not the best time trialist and I'm not a top climber so I have no chance to make the final podium in Paris. I don't think I have become a climber though. Two years ago when Michael Rogers won in the Pyrenees, it was also a hard course. When I'm at the front, I'm hard to beat. I know how to suffer. Today it was a good stage for me and I had good breakaway companions. I've always worked hard but luck hasn't always been on my side in my career. After so many years made of disappointments, I've also had nice days on the bike. After I won Tirreno-Adriatico this year, I was ready for the classics. Due to crashes, I have lost one or two classics that should be on my record book but two stages and the yellow jersey of the Tour de France have made my dream come true and all the suffering worth it.”