Stefan Bissegger
«I feel like I can win.»
«My goal was obviously to win the stage, but I got a bit stuck in the final. Still, it gives me a lot of confidence because I feel like I can win. Everything is new to me this year: the preparation, the equipment, the team managers, and in a time trial, every detail counts. A second place in my comeback race proves that we are working in the right direction and that the automatisms are falling into place. I was up against the best in the world today. I think Joshua Tarling is very strong in these conditions, and seeing that I am close to him gives me confidence for the rest of the race. We still have big ambitions this week. I didn't manage to get a win today, but I intend to do everything I can to help the team in the coming days.»
Cyril Dessel
«We analysed the weather conditions.»
«We analysed the weather conditions and decided to send our leader and our best riders to the front of the pack. It was the right strategy, and even though we didn't win, we're happy with the team's performance. The wind picked up on the first long straight after the favourites set off, making the rest of the time trial more difficult, especially for Bruno (Armirail). Despite this, Stefan (Bissegger) secured a fine second place, while Felix (Gall) and Paul (Seixas) finished within the time of the favourites in the overall classification.»
The information
A successful time trial for Felix Gall
Our Austrian climber puts in a fine performance away from his favourite terrain. In a fast, flat time trial, Felix Gall finished within the time of his rivals in the overall standings, setting the stage for a promising weekend in the mountains. The top French rider, Bruno Armirail, finished eleventh after battling a headwind that picked up shortly before his run. This time trial puts him in ninth place in the overall standings.
