"This Giro got off to a pretty difficult start, with demanding stages in Albania, a steady race pace, and of course the unfortunate loss of Geoffrey Bouchard. We were hoping for new opportunities in the sprints and breakaways once we got to Italy, but at first we didn't succeed in the sprints, and the breakaway stages often turned into battles for the overall classification.

But as the days went by, we felt the riders getting stronger and closer to a good result. We came close with 5th and 6th places, and we knew we had the qualities to do something special. We were convinced that if we stayed consistent, an opportunity would eventually pay off.

The third week was the key to our perseverance. Nicolas Prodhomme was in excellent form, and we knew that if we could get him to the front in the mountain stages, he'd have a real chance. At this stage, there were only the queen stages left, or those destined for the battle for the overall classification, so we had to believe. We knew what we were capable of, we never gave up, and it paid off. Nicolas was unbelievably strong to come away with a well-deserved victory.

He also finished 15th overall - a result we weren't particularly aiming for, as our main objective was a stage win. We tried to save his strength by letting him get up on certain days. So this classification is a huge bonus, which brings nothing but positives. This race will be a real confidence boost for him, confirming his good form, his excellent start to the season, and showing what he's capable of doing on a Grand Tour. It's very promising for the future."