"Five years ago, it was here in Switzerland that my dream to become a professional cyclist began when I arrived in Europe, in the Centre Mondial du Cyclisme in Aigle. This is why my participation in the Tour de Suisse has a special meaning. I was happy to start with a time trial, with my national champion's kit around the shoulders. And today, I surprised myself by defeating several of the best sprinters in the world in a bunch sprint for the first time." "It was even more incredible thinking that it is only my return into competition after my bad crash in the Tour of Flanders and that I'm still building my form. After three weeks off the bike, I didn't have enough time to fully get back on the rails. But after three race days, I feel that my explosiveness and sprint speed are improving. I'm happy to distinguish myself on the highest level today."
"I'm incredibly proud on what we have done with the team today. It was headwind in the final climb. That's why we chose to stay hidden in the peloton. The final kilometers very very nervous, it was difficult to stay united with my teammates. But Lilian Calmejane stayed with me until I was back in the slipstream of my lead out Mike Teunissen with 1 kilometer to go. I just had to launch my sprint." "It was a long sprint, but the feeling to cross the line first was incredible. This winter we trained hard with the sprint train, but because of crashes and illness, it was the first time I raced together with Adrien Petit and Mike Teunissen this season. This gives us a lot of confidence for our next races. At the end of the week there will be other opportunities for me." "But first, I have to survive a couple of difficult days. With Rui Costa, we have a triple winner of the Tour de Suisse in our team and we have other good climbers. I won't hesitate to support and protect them."
