"The plan was for any of us to go in the breakaway. We talked a little bit about me going in but it’s about feeling the race, go with your sensations, depending on what’s happening. It was a really tricky day, especially with the crash in the peloton. That really changed the dynamics of the race. It made it a very hard day and the sports directors decided to put me up the road.
I’ve ridden GC twice in Grand Tours now so I have a bit more resistance, a bit more fitness. But today, there wasn’t much more that I could do against Tim Wellens. I needed to go solo on that hard climb [Pas du Sant]. It didn’t work out unfortunately. It was quite surprising because I did a really big effort from the bottom. Afterwards, I knew my chances were pretty slim to get a top result from that group.
It’s always nice to be on the podium but I’d rather be here with a victory. I tried hard and it’s nice that they recognised I did my best."
