“Some riders are simply pushing the limits a bit more than necessary,” Sporza reported. “They prefer to crash rather than sprint. The good news is that I didn’t crash today. That’s up to them. I don’t know exactly what’s going wrong. There are a few riders I’d rather not get behind in the chaos.”
Merlier was already dropped at times during the stage, but thanks to a dedicated work of his team, the Belgian would still arrive to Valence with a shot at his third victory. But the last kilometers went far from ideal.
“I was completely out of control, otherwise I wouldn’t have been behind the crash. I still had the feeling it was going to work out. I was moving up and made the wrong choice twice, taking the right side of the roundabout. That was my own fault, but I felt I was going to put things right.”
“I’m standing here with mixed feelings. I missed another opportunity, but on the other hand, I stayed upright. Fortunately, I already have two victories under my belt and I can look back on my Tour de France with satisfaction,” said the Belgian.
His voice indicates that he doesn’t believe in one more sprint opportunity in Paris, with the Montmartre circuit in mind. But with the finish line in sight, the European champion silently vows to finish the Grande Boucle for the first time in his career. “That will be very difficult. It will be a tough three-day race where my legs won’t be very happy,” he said, looking ahead to the Alps.