“We have one goal and we work together every day to achieve it”
The tough first day he experienced in the mountains of this year’s Tour de France are long forgotten as Jakob Fuglsang sits in a strong overall position as Ventoux, and then the Alps, loom on the horizon.
Previously twelfth overall, the Danish Astana rider jumped to sixth in the general classification when he finished fourth on yesterday’s stage. He was part of the break of fourteen riders which slipped clear inside the final forty kilometres of the stage to Saint Arnaud Montrond and stayed clear until the end, gaining a minute and nine seconds.
Also in the move were Bauke Mollema (Belkin) and Alberto Contador (Astana), who ended the day second and third overall, reducing their deficit to Froome and also capitalising on Alejandro Valverde’s loss in time.
For Fuglsang, his fourth place on the stage shows that he is in good shape and ready for the fight ahead.
“My teammates kept me at the front all day, and when the speed picked up I was able to go with the attackers. There are only six of us at Astana now, but we have one goal and we work together every day to achieve it,” he said, confirming his complete focus on a strong general classification result.
Former pro Jaan Kirsipuu used his experience when he noticed the crosswinds while driving ahead of the route. The team directeur sportif conveyed that message to the riders via Dmitriy Sedoun, and this was later acted upon.
He’s pleased with the outcome, as might be expected. “Jakob made smart decisions with his head and rode a strong stage with his legs. He’s in excellent condition right now because of his training, his experience and motivation, and because he has a very strong team behind him going to work at every stage,” he stated.
“We still have a very difficult week ahead of us in the Alps, and to be in sixth place on GC right now is absolutely fantastic,” Kirsipuu said.
Fuglsang is four minutes 39 seconds behind Chris Froome, and will aim for a strong performance on tomorrow’s important race to the summit of Mont Ventoux.