Stage 4
41| Justine GHEKIERE
Ghekiere: “I’m definitely happy with the Combativity award”
Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance - Soudal Team): “It's really nice. It was a really hard race and every time I could get points for the mountain jersey I took them. Then after the Redoute I was so tired and I thought my race was over but then on the second last climb I went all in and I saw I had a gap. I just thought, “I’ll go full, because it’s good for Kim [Le Court],” who was behind me. I hoped to get the points on the Roche-aux-Faucons, the last climb but I was so empty. Then I saw the 500m sign and I looked behind me and saw Demi Vollering...
Stage 4
26| Charlotte KOOL
Kool: “I achieved the goal for the green jersey”
Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL): “It's a really good day. The goal was to take as many points as I could get. There was a rider up the road but I won the [intermediate] bunch sprint so we took some good points and for the rest I was just trying to save as much energy as possible, but it was not easy because those climbs are brutal here. Tomorrow is of course also quite a hard stage but we will try. I’m in a good shape so we’ll see. I feel really good and I’m really happy that I achieved the goal for the green jersey today. Now it’s onto...
Stage 4
1| Demi VOLLERING
Vollering: "I hope things keep going like this"
Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime): "I'm happy that we could take again some time for the GC and I hope things keep going like this! The plan was to attack in la Roche-aux-Faucons, I hoped to go out with a very small group, or even alone, but they were very strong to stay with me and I was like "Ok, this is also nice to work with them towards the finish". We worked very well together, that was very nice. I was not surprised [by the sprint of Puck Pieterse]. I know how talented she is, she has so much talent. She's never scared to race with her heart and I really like to see...
Stage 4
133| Puck PIETERSE
Pieterse: “I just tried to keep a poker face”
Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck): “It’s quite unbelievable really. The last few days I had super good legs, first day I had good legs, second day I had good legs and today I didn’t feel my legs at all. It’s always been good and to take the win here in a sprint against Demi [Vollering] it’s really a dream come true. I knew they were riding for GC and I’m just here for the stage, while I’m fresh I could play poker a bit. I knew Kasia [Niewiadoma] would attack and that Demi would have to follow so I just tried to keep a poker face and...
Stage 3
192| Anniina AHTOSALO
Ahtosalo : “I feared that I would lose the jersey”
Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility) : “I guess it was a bit of a lacklustre TT probably. I tried to pass but I couldn’t really get the power out. I’m just happy I could keep the white jersey. For sure I feared that I would lose it after the TT, because there are some really good time trial riders in the Youth classification. I think I will be in the service of my teammates tomorrow, so it’s probably going to be my last day in white tomorrow. We’ll have to see.”
Stage 3
26| Charlotte KOOL
Kool : “I’m really proud of the last two days”
Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL) : “I gave it my all and someone else was stronger than me. I’m still wearing this nice green jersey and I’m really proud of the last two days. My Tour is already complete. I’m going to try and fight to keep the green jersey, it’s too nice to give it up. I have some good points already so I’ll fight for it. It’s a hard stage [Stage 5] and it’s not as flat as here, but I think I’m in good shape so I will try and who knows. I don’t think it was too hard this afternoon because...
Stage 3
1| Demi VOLLERING
Vollering : “I had no expectation at all today”
Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx - Protime) : "I really didn’t see this coming. I really had no idea that I could to this today, so I’m really surprised actually. These first days were just days that I needed to survive and I want to really just enjoy these first stages. I already had in the head tomorrow’s (Wednesday’s) stage because we really love it. I really like the Liege-Bastogne–Liege race. So today in the road stage I was already thinking about tomorrow. After that stage until the TT I slept two times because I was so relaxed. I just didn’t...
Stage 2
87| Cristina TONETTI
Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi): "Full gas from the start"
"It was a crazy one. It was all narrow roads, corners, full gas from the start. It was easy to defend the jersey because there was no climb, but it was quite emotional yes! It feels so special [to be recognised from the crowd]. You represent the jersey and everybody looks at you, they asked for pictures. I always go 100% so I will do that this afternoon for the TT."
Stage 2
192| Anniina AHTOSALO
Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility): “There was chaos in the final”
“It was hectic and quite fast. There was chaos in the final and I lost my lead out there, so I came in with the bunch basically. I did not see the crash towards the end as I was in front of it, so I just heard some noises from the back. I didn’t know what was going on. Hopefully I will be able to keep the white jersey this afternoon but I think it will be quite hard. We have some good time triallists on the start line so we’ll see. I’ll have to go full gas, I still have some work to do there [on ITTs].”
Stage 2
185| Audrey DE KEERSMAEKER
Audrey De Keersmaeker (Lotto-Dstny Ladies): "The cheering hypes you up"
"It was amazing. When you ride at your own in the front, and in the side of the roads everybody is cheering for you. You're just suffering so much but they are cheering and it hypes you up. I think I pushed harder than I thought I could. It's amazing. I wanted to show the team in front, to show that we deserve a spot here. If you have some girls with you, it's easier to be in front but I was on my own. It is what is. I tried to make the best out of it. In the beginning I was like "ok, they'll catch me quite early". But then they came close to 10 seconds gap and I tried to...