Quotes on the 10th stage: Zimmermann complains: "Probably a gear too fat"

Georg Zimmermann (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty), at sportschau.de:

"I'm finding it extremely difficult to categorise it at the moment. I've been preparing for the last few months. I've worked really hard for the Tour de France. You can't really miss any chances at the Tour de France because it's super hard to get into a situation where you can dust something off here. So the main thing now is that I missed the biggest goal of my career by two or three metres rather than being happy about second place and my good legs."

... Georg Zimmermann on the finish sprint: "I didn't change gear, but 300 to 400 metres before the finish I tried out whether I wanted to sprint in the biggest or second biggest gear. Because it's not so easy to change gear during the sprint. I then confidently decided in favour of the fattest gear and didn't really get around that well. When I set off, Bilbao immediately opens up a small gap and I slowly come back, but not fast enough. If only: Maybe it would have gone better on the 12th sprocket. But then I would probably have had to change gear once during the sprint, which isn't ideal either. The gear was probably one too thick."

Déjà vu for Zimmermann

... Georg Zimmermann on his plan for the final stage 10: "The plan was not to work too much and still somehow make sure that the race stays fast and that Alaphilippe doesn't come back because he's a fox - I don't want to ride against him in the final. In Bilbao I thought it would be really difficult to beat him because I'd already lost a flat sprint to him in the Tour of Germany. When I made my attack in the last kilometre and then looked around after the right-hand bend at 600 metres and he was on my wheel, I wasn't so happy and thought it might be difficult. And it was. Now I'm second. That in itself is a great success for me. But at the moment, I can't quite categorise it as ideal."

Pello Bilbao dedicates victory to Gino Mäder

Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious), stage winner in an official interview:

"We started the stage fully focussed. Yesterday we rode the first 40 kilometres. We expected a tough race there today after the rest day. All of a sudden we were among the first 20 riders with five men. I just wanted to be in the right group - preferably with two riders. Matej (Mohoric; editor's note) was attacking the whole time, just like Fred (Wright; editor's note), Mikel (Landa; editor's note), Jack (Haig; editor's note). Everyone wanted to be part of it. We just rode full throttle. At some point I saw that Jumbo-Visma was going to let a group ride and that was my chance. I set off at the moment when everyone else was at the limit. Neilands made a strong attack in the finale. I think he was the strongest rider, but he used up a lot of energy in the wind. We worked well together in the chasing group. I knew that I was the fastest in the group and closed the gaps. When Zimmermann started his sprint, I stayed cool, jumped on his wheel and then pushed hard for the last 200 metres. When I crossed the finish line, I shouted out all my frustration and reminded myself of the reason for this victory - a very special victory: for Gino (Mäder; editor's note)."

>> To the race report: How the 10th stage went

>> Results of the Tour de France 2023 - the standings in the rankings

Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal - Quick Step), on Eurosport:

"I was very motivated today and realised that something is possible. I have no regrets. Overall, I'm quite satisfied. Of course, it's a shame that it wasn't quite enough for the win in the end. It was a very hectic day - from kilometre zero to the finish, especially in the heat. I can't remember the last time there was such a hot and crazy day here at the Tour de France."

O'Connor had already been left behind

Ben O'Connor (AG2R-Citroën Team), third on Eurosport:

"That was a great stage. However, I'm a little sad not to have won. You put a lot of work into it. I was also left behind at the start. I think I was the last rider on the first climb. It was a day in which the beautiful things of cycling played a role, but also the suffering."

Kristis Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech), on Eurosport:

"It was tough, very hot. But it was good to ride at the front. As a team, we rode very well today and were in all the breakaway attempts. We got the maximum out of it, unfortunately it didn't quite work out with the win. Michael Woods' victory two days ago gave us a lot of encouragement."

Tadej Pogacar on the situation with Jonas Vingegaard

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), on Eurosport:

"It was a bit surprising that they were sifted out like that at the start. In the end, it's the riders who make a race tough. It was a crazy start, but things calmed down towards the end of the stage."

... on the situation when he was in a leading group with Jonas Vingegaard: "If we had ridden there and Ineos hadn't come back, it would have been a completely different race and I think there would have been big gaps today because it was such a tough stage for the breakaway group. In the end, everything went well."