I was very motivated and very focused, ... I found some extra motivation from all the comments that said Boonen wasn't in shape,' but I knew I would be ready for the world's. |
I'm lacking a little competition, but the knee is fine. It doesn't hurt and it's good enough to start the Vuelta and begin my preparations for the world's. |
I'm not a 100 percent satisfied, but let's say 98 percent, |
In the last 300 meters I saw Alejandro start to sprint for the finish line but I just kept going and waited for the 200 meter mark to start mine, ... I never had a doubt about any of the riders in the team. They were great today, especially on the last lap. |
It is going to be very scary, |
It's good for the team's morale and now we'll be able to sit back a bit during the rest of the week. We're not looking to win the general classification but that doesn't mean we won't be going out to win. |
It's good to have won that stage because now we can relax and take it easy until the end of Paris-Nice. |
It's OK that the others are ahead of me here. It doesn't worry me. I really didn't try in this Vuelta, ... I'm only here to prepare for the world championships. That's the only thing that matters to me right now. |
It's okay that the others are ahead of me here. It doesn't worry me. I really didn't try in this Vuelta. I only came to the Vuelta to recuperate my fitness and I leave here at about 80 percent fitness. If I was here at top fitness I might not have reached the peak at the world's. At Madrid, I want to be 110 percent fitness and I didn't want to peak too early. |
On the last lap it was very important that several members of the Belgium team were always up at the front, |
The Belgian riders did everything for me, ... I didn't have to work hard until the end. At the finish, Mario Aerts gave me perfect position. |
The conditions were very difficult, but I had ticked off this stage and it's great to have finally won it. |
The credit goes to my team-mates for allowing me to have a good day in the stage. My team is what you call a dream team. Each one of us supports the other fully. |
The financial side of it is pleasant of course, but that is not the main reason for me leaving my parental home in Balen. I would like to lead a bit of a normal life again. It will be nice to walk down the street without people staring at me. Every day there's a dozen of interested fans at my front door; it's getting too much. I'm getting a bit fed up with having to tell the same story twenty times a day to people I don't know at all, or having to listen to their stories. Monaco will be a better place for me to train also, in winter I often don't have the courage to go out in the bad weather, in the South training will be easier. |
The Three Days are reputed to be dangerous, it's true, but I'd rather ride than stay at home and dawdle. I could train instead of risking a crash racing, but I'd rather occupy my mind in competition. |