Tour de France (3rd stage), Hugo Hofstetter 8th
Hugo Hofstetter won two places at the end of the 3rd stage of the Tour de France in Sønderborg. Nairo Quintana is now 27th in the general classification.
On the line
“I was really at the top of my game, on the wheel of Wout Van Aert with two kilometres to go. I passed the corner very well and came out on his wheel in 3rd or 4th position. He only had one pitcher on his side, Christophe Laporte, and Wout decided to delay a bit, which cost me my good position. That’s my regret, because if I had launched from the corner, I think I could have caught Wout’s wheel. After that I was caught in a pincer movement on the left and on the right by two riders, and I have to leave my position. Once I want to launch, I am blocked on the start. Then I sprinted to the line… but unfortunately for a second place”.
Le débrief’
« Hugo 8ème de ce deuxième sprint sur le Tour 2022 est en progression. Les premiers sprints massifs sur le Tour, on le sait, sont toujours un peu tendus. Il y a de la tension, quelques petits contacts, mais cela fait partie du sport cycliste, du sprint. Nos leaders eux sont toujours bien placés au classement général, ils n’ont pas concédé de temps sur ces deux premières étapes en ligne. Ils sont au contact des meilleurs. Le but est de continuer notre progression sur ce Tour en prenant les étapes les unes après les autres ».