Elise Chabbey (FDJ-Suez): "On the first climb, I was told on the radio that I could score points to secure the polka dot jersey. We found ourselves at the front with Silke [Smulders]. At the beginning, I was told not to ride too hard so I could save my energy for the final, which was for Demi [Vollering]. We opened up a gap quite quickly without riding too hard, so they let me go a bit. The peloton picked up a bit, which allowed us to gain some space. It was a really tough course. It was tiring, but cool to be at the front. It's crazy, there were really a lot of fans at the roadside, I heard my name being called out by them even though I'm not even French! There was lots of encouragement, it was a pretty incredible experience. With Demi we know that her strong point is the mountains. Next weekend will be especially important. For now, she's where she needs to be. We're looking forward to the mountains to come."
