00:00 I had a hard time controlling the situation, I was at the limit, but we were all going the same way.
00:11 In the end it was a day from start to finish, I was able to escape, I was clear about it,
00:20 I didn't care if they caught us or if I lost all the chances of the race,
00:25 I just thought about winning this stage.
00:30 Thanks to the team and Gino for this inspiration.
00:35 We started the stage full focus, yesterday we checked the first 40k and we were super mentalised,
00:44 expecting a hard race day after the rest day.
00:49 In a critical moment I checked and we were 5 teammates in the first 20 riders,
00:56 I just wanted to make the right group, if possible with two riders, Matej was attacking all the time,
01:06 also Fred, Mikel, Bo, Jack, everybody was trying to go, we were not just thinking in anything,
01:15 just going full, full, full and in one point I saw that the guys from Jumbo needed to let one group,
01:23 and that was my opportunity, my chance to go, I knew that it was going to be difficult before,
01:29 but I just waited for the right moment when everybody was in the limit.
01:34 And then in one point the time gap started to go down, so we needed to start to go full in the front.
01:42 Everybody was in the limit, Wayland did an impressive attack,
01:48 I think he was the strongest one, but he spent a lot of energy with a hard win in the face,
01:54 in the back group we just collaborated in the right way,
01:58 and then in the last three k's I knew that was the fastest man in the group,
02:06 so I just took the control, the responsibility, I closed the gap with O'Connor first,
02:13 and then with cold blood let Zimmermann make his sprint,
02:19 go on the wheel and just full the last 200 meters without thinking on nothing,
02:25 and then I crossed the line and I just put out all the anger I had inside,
02:34 and remembering the reason of this victory, a special one for Gino.
02:42 That was the first thought you had in your mind,
02:46 you probably had that thought in your mind during the whole day, during the whole tour?
02:49 It was the only reason, it was hard to prepare the last two weeks with him in the mind,
02:56 but staying with the family at home and staying with my kid Martina,
03:03 she helped me a lot to just keep calm, be positive and put all my positive energy
03:12 to try to do something nice in the tour.
03:15 I wanted to do it in the first two stages, it was so special for me,
03:20 it was not possible but I was just waiting for my moment.
03:25 Maybe I was thinking that the position in the overall was going to be a problem,
03:31 but I decided to make an all-in movement and in the end it was the right movement.
03:42 First victory in the tour after 13 years in profession, it's such a special moment for me.
03:50 [Music]
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