He is 1:03 behind Froome. How do you value this first week?
Obviously, the difference is quite big. The good thing is that there is still a lot to come and the real mountains haven't arrived yet. This will be a Tour of consistency, there are still numerous opportunities to make up time. (The cyclist speaks to the media after showering in the motorhome rented by his team for the time trial, as the bus started the journey to Pau in the morning. Two ham and cheese sandwiches satisfy his hunger after the effort).
What grade would you give the Tinkoff time trial?
Well, we would have liked not to lose time, to have a more favorable day, but we gave our maximum and we can't reproach ourselves anything. Our rivals were better and we have to congratulate them. The favorable wind caused some minor disadvantages. Now, we have a long journey to Pau, hopefully we will make good use of the rest day.
Do you already consider Froome as the main rival to beat?
Yes, he is very strong. He showed it on the Muro de Huy. On a climb that didn't favor him, he almost won. I feel happy with how things have turned out.
How will you approach your strategy in this Tour? Will you attack in the mountains?
Well, we'll see. If the opportunity arises, I will definitely try to take advantage of it. Maybe I lack a spark after having competed in the Giro, but I am confident that with the fatigue we accumulate, I will be on par with the others. And there, the recovery ability of each one will be decisive. So I trust in my chances. Anything can happen until Paris.
Would you include Van Garderen as a title contender?
Although he is doing very well, he doesn't know what it's like to conquer a grand tour, like the rest.