"I was not alone, I had 18 friends in the break. We had a nice advantage before the final climb. That was a crazy experience final. The break was a free ticket to the bottom of the climb, but I didn’t think we could make it to the finish because UAE was pulling hard behind. We didn’t want to miss any big break, like every day. We try to go on every group in order not to be caught out by a dangerous move. UAE let too many guys up front, whereas I found out I had the best legs I’ve had in my life. I didn’t believe it was possible, but here I am! Winning atop Grand Colombier… I have bad memories with Egan Bernal here, thinking of quitting the race. Whereas the stage with Richard Carapaz at La Roche was full gas, and we only enjoyed final 15k. As for today, the final climb was very long – the most brutal effort in my life. Without the fans, this win wouldn’t have been possible. I didn’t have the car behind me, so couldn’t hear the gaps. The fans helped me all the way to the finish."
