Marc Sarreau: "Happy to be back on the winning track
"I am very happy. The day was relatively quiet despite the fast start. Everyone had energy for the final pack, it was tough and nervous. The team did a great job. We had seen with Oliver (Naesen) that we had to be well placed at the last traffic circle but that the most important thing was the restart. He dropped me off at the 250m mark and I was able to keep all my speed, which was perfect.
It's been two years that I've had one problem after another. It's frustrating for me and for the team. So I'm happy to be back on the winning track, but I hope it's just the beginning of a good period.
There are still several opportunities to raise our arms this week so we'll try to keep it up and defend the leader's jersey."[/su_quote]
Key number
500
Marc Sarreau's victory in the first stage of Tour is the 500th victory for the AG2R CITROËN team, founded in 1992.
Jocelyn Jolidon was the first to open the scoring by raising his arms in victory in the second stage of Tour Vaucluse in 1992.
"It's a beautiful symbol, and it's not just anecdotal. There's a very long history behind this number. It represents the work of all our partners, all our riders all the staff over the past 31 years. There have been big victories and smaller ones, but each one has stirred up special emotions.
I'm happy for Marc, who has been through some difficult times in recent months. It's a beautiful moment.
The goal now is to quickly add more successes," said Vincent Lavenu, general manager of the AG2R CITROËN team.
The news
La Vuelta Espana (Stage 4): Ben O'Connor finishes sixth
Ben O'Connor finishes sixth in the fourth stage of the Vuelta Espana.
"I felt great today. I'm happy to have contested the sprint, even if everything isn't perfect. I still need to build up a little more confidence to raise my arms. My teammates supported me well in the final. We're in a good position for the rest of the race," said Ben O'Connor.
"We've made a good start to this Vuelta Espana. From today onwards, we're on terrain that suits the AG2R CITROËN team. Ben O'Connor finished in a strong sixth place with a great final climb. He was perfectly supported by Jaakko Hänninen and Clément Champoussin, who did a great job," said sports director Julien Jurdie.
