Stefan Bissegger
"I feel I can win
"My aim was obviously to win the stage, but I got a bit stuck in the final stretch. But that gives me a lot of confidence, because I feel I can win. Everything's new for me this year: the preparation, the equipment, the team managers, and in a time trial, every detail counts. Second place in my first race back proves that we're working in the right direction and that we're getting the hang of things. I was up against the best in the world today. I think Joshua Tarling is very strong in these conditions, and to see that I'm close to him gives me confidence for the future. 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 analyzed the weather conditions
"We analyzed the weather conditions and chose to send our leader and our best wheelers to the front positions. It was the right strategy, and even if we weren't rewarded with victory, we're satisfied with the team's performance. The wind picked up on the first long straight after the start of the favourites, complicating the rest of the stage, particularly for Bruno (Armirail). Despite this, Stefan (Bissegger) took a fine second place, while Felix (Gall) and Paul (Seixas) finished within the favourites' overall time."
The news
A successful time for Felix Gall
Our Austrian climber put in a fine performance away from his preferred terrain. On a fast, flat time trial, Felix Gall finished within the time of his rivals in the overall classification, which augurs well for a fine weekend in the mountains. Bruno Armirail was the first Frenchman to finish in eleventh place, having to contend with a headwind that picked up shortly before his passage. This time places him ninth overall.
