Alex Baudin
"A special day"
"I'm really happy to finish in the top 10 on a stage tour a Grand tour my first participation. It was a special day for me, especially being in the same breakaway as Valentin (Paret-Peintre). We were roommates in Chambéry during our junior years, so it was special for us to experience this moment together.
I had tried unsuccessfully to slip into the front several times since the start of this Giro . So achieving it today was a first satisfaction. With 30 riders , it was difficult to organize ourselves. Unfortunately, we got caught out when the selection in this group took place. We were at the back putting on rain jackets. Behind us, it was chaos... I tried to anticipate the climb up Colle Braida by accelerating, but it didn't work. I used up a lot of energy in the battle. I sprinted with what I had left."
"It was a special day for me, especially being in the same breakaway as Valentin (Paret-Peintre). We were roommates in Chambéry during our junior years so it was special for us to live this moment together.
The news
Mikael Cherel forced to retire
Mikael Cherel, who was ill, was forced to abandon the race during the 12th stage of Giro . He has been suffering from intestinal problems for three days. "I was hoping to get back in shape and recover from this virus. But the start was once again very fast and I couldn't manage to stay with the peloton. I hung on as long as I could, but I had no energy left," he explained. "For the past two days, I haven't been able to eat properly. I'm sad to give up and leave my teammates to continue the Giro without me."
4
Key number
With Alex Baudin finishing 10th in the 12th stage in Rivoli, the AG2R CITROËN team has now achieved four top 10 finishes since the start of the 106th edition of Giro . Aurélien Paret-Peintre won the 4th stage in Lago Laceno, Andrea Vendrame finished tenth in the 3rd stage and then eighth in the 5th stage.
Aurélien Paret-Peintre is still in 10th place in the general classification.
