"I can’t believe it. I was just trying do my best today. I tried to be attentive, especially if a break of eight guys or more went away and there were guys from Deceuninck-Quick Step or Alpecin-Fenix in it. We thought those teams might control for the sprint anyway. I saw this first group breaking away and decided to do a super big effort to bridge. When I reached the front, I spoke with guys in order to agree and go as fast as possible at the start of the stage. I think it was the best way to lead the break to the finish, as sprinter teams don’t have those many guys to control. Then, halfway through the stage, a big group jumped from the bunch. There were no teammates of mine there, and I was a bit disappointed. When they joined us, I tried to save some energy and then follow wheels all the way to the end. When Nils went on that climb, I was on my limit; almost exploded. I went for it with a big attack: just do one sprint more and then pace myself all the way to the finish. I was doing ridiculously low watts, but still I managed to keep my rivals at bay and win the stage."
