"This Dauphiné is the start of a period of racing in France that I had circled in red in my agenda for a long time, with the Tour de France and the national championships. Two years ago, I had the honour of wearing the green jersey in this race, while last year I experienced a great disappointment, forced to abandon after a crash in the first stage. With my coach Christophe Prémont we have prepared well for this period, which has been reflected in my performances in support of the team in recent weeks. For this Dauphiné I had the ambition to race for the victory myself and from this first opportunity I could rely on the support of all my teammates. After the first passages over the finish line, we refined our strategy and decided to save our efforts on the last lap until the final kilometers, which worked out perfectly. After a big pull from Tom Paquot, Vito Braet launched me in an incredible way, allowing me to sprint to my first podium of the season. I am very happy to achieve a nice result for the team in my turn. With the white jersey on my shoulders, I will give it my all on Monday, even if the final on Col de la Loge is probably too difficult for riders of my profile. I am eagerly awaiting the second big sprint chance on Thursday, I am very curious to see what I can achieve that day."
