Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal Team): "It could only have been better if I won the stage. I felt really good today. The goal was to control the race. At the beginning we kind of got a bit stuck with the big break, so we had to kind of control the race from the start, which was OK. We were preparing for that anyway from yesterday and then it was just a matter of seeing if the legs are there, if I feel good and being looked after. My teammates were superb, I mean I couldn't ask for a better team. They're so dedicated to me and to the goal. Then next I was trying to get the bonus seconds. There was already a rider up ahead so I was able to get second place, which I did. I felt super strong. We tried to kind of close the gap to the front rider and try and get the stage, but we knew it was not going to happen, so I tried to take the last few kilometres easy and just recover for tomorrow and get third position on the line and get more bonus seconds. I couldn't really wish for better, we're all safe through the finish line and we keep the Yellow Jersey. I saw so many flags and my name written on the floor on the climbs and also people screaming my name. This has never happened in the past for me. So yeah that really makes me happy and makes my heart really happy. I hope I can keep on making the supporters happy."
