"It was a much more relaxing stage than the previous ones. I would have wished to have some more straight roads, as we went through so many villages and that made the race hectic and stressful sometimes. In any case, it has been a good day out in order to recover from the many efforts we have already done.
Joao [Almeida] is a warrior. You could see him suffering all day long, especially with accelerations - but he still hung on and kept going. He has the true spirit of a champion.
During the stage, I asked my team car for news on how my girlfriend Urska [Zigart] had fared in the women’s Giro d’Italia. I’m always nervous on the bike when she is racing, and it’s great to hear about her. When she does well, I feel super happy."
