Geoffrey Bouchard
«Glad to finally win»
«It's a great victory in a race where the riders competing for the overall classification in the Giro d'Italia are finishing their preparations. Last year, at the Giro, I came very close to success. I'm happy to finally win among the pros. I've already won best climber jerseys in Grand Tours, but that's not the same as a victory. When I realised that the peloton was catching up with me, I stood up on my pedals and said to myself, «Don't sit down again». No matter how big the lead was, I had to win. I compete in a lot of WorldTour races where the level is very high. So you have to seize every opportunity.»
”Last year, at the Giro, I came very close to success. I'm delighted to finally win as a professional.
The information
Leader and best climber
Geoffrey Bouchard takes both the leader's jersey in the general classification and the best climber's jersey.
Since turning professional in 2019, he has won the best climber classification in the Vuelta a España in 2019 and the Giro d'Italia in 2021.
4
The figure
Geoffrey Bouchard's victory, the first of his professional career, is the fourth win of the season for the AG2R CITROEN team.
Ben O'Connor won the third stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and the Tour du Jura, while Marc Sarreau won Cholet-Pays de Loire. This is the team's 496th victory since its creation in 1992.
