After a difficult second stage…

After a difficult second stage…

there is the Wall of Huy

On Neeltje Jans finishing line, Alejandro, together with all his Movistar Team mates, lost 1’28” compared to the first group that crossed the line with German André Greipel in first position. A crash in the middle of the bunch broke it in several parts at 50 km from the finish and the final part of the stage became a kind of long time trial to try and reduce the gap with the leading group.

“It hadn’t been a good day”, explained Alejandro. “It was really complicated due to foul weather, stressful. The important thing is that we two didn’t crash and everything has just started.” The Spaniard explained that “Nairo was at the front with Dowsett, but the group started to split into the crosswinds, it also started to rain, another crash happened, we turned left towards a wind-exposed zone and echelons kept forming and forming until we were all of us trailing behind. From that point on, there was nothing to do but chasing.”

Monday stage, with the finish at the top of the Wall of Huy, could give Alejandro the opportunity to cross the line in the first place. Nevertheless the Spaniard explained that “there are many favourites; I might be one of those but not the only one. We’ll have to value which are the team’s chances, see how Nairo does and evaluate if I can go for the stage or not. It’ll also be a battle between the GC contenders. In a finish like that, you won’t lose the Tour, but you might concede some seconds which, seeing how modern cycling works, might become serious.”