"I cannot be super happy with a 2nd place. It is a good result, of course, and I’m happy for the green jersey that we achieved. In any case, first and foremost I have to say I’m really sorry for Jasper [Philipsen] and the other guys who crashed today.
I didn’t manage to sprint for the win in the first stage, but I still kept collecting points in the intermediate sprints with the points classification in mind. Yet today I had my eyes set on the stage win, and thus I can only feel partially happy.
I’ve come close to victory, and I’ll keep looking for it. I missed fighting for the win.
It has been a chaotic final. I tried my best in the sprint. Maybe I should have waited a bit more, given the headwind… But in the end, it went like it went and I can only congratulate Tim [Merlier] on his victory. I’m happy for the shape I have and I will keep fighting for more."
