Sport director Robert Wagner said there were no high expectations for this effort: “No top result today, but we didn’t really expect that either. The focus is fully on the three-day race.”
Within the team, attention now fully shifts to the upcoming stages, where the race will further unfold toward the first real sprint opportunities. Tomorrow’s 172-kilometer stage is expected to end in a bunch sprint, offering the sprinters their first chance to show themselves in this French stage race.