"I'm very happy, there's no better way to start the season than with a win. It's nice to see that all the hard work over the winter is paying off. I always wanted to be aggressive today on the climb in the middle of the race. I wanted to seize an opportunity. There was a lot of wind afterwards. So it was a very difficult day and I was very happy to have Paul (Lapeira) and Nico (Prodhomme) with me at the front of the race. We worked hard to keep the pack at bay. We didn't work very well together in the breakaway and I managed to get away with Tim Wellens. In the end, I came out on the last climb after racing at the front, and I couldn't be happier. Now I hope to continue on this path and race with my heart, with my head too, and do my best."