Gaudu surprises with third place, frustrated Ciccone explains: "You can’t take advantage when a great champion is down"

“I was a bit boxed in during the last 500 meters, with Juan Ayuso in front of me,” said the Lidl-Trek rider in the flash interview after the race. “I went for it on gut instinct, but that was maybe a bit too early. It was too difficult to keep it up.” In the end, Vingegaard managed to get past him in the final meters. That would ultimately be a big disappointment for Ciccone, who said he was in good shape. “My legs are very good, but it's a shame I didn't win.”

“This was a huge goal. I really wanted to take the jersey, but we'll keep trying,” said the 30-year-old Ciccone, already looking ahead. Perhaps he could have won the stage and the red jersey if Lidl-Trek had continued riding in the peloton when Vingegaard crashed, but that was (fortunately) never an option. “It was quite dangerous. You can't take advantage when a great champion is down,” said Ciccone, explaining the decision to hold back as a peloton and let the fallen riders return.

For Gaudu, third place was quite a surprise. The Frenchman had doubts in the run-up to the Vuelta, but on Sunday, he immediately showed that he was in excellent shape. “I didn't believe it until we turned right, because I wasn't feeling well,” he said in a flash interview after the race. “In the end, it turned out well, I'm happy. It's a good start to the Vuelta. I think the team needed it.”

“I know the roads here a little; we're not far from home,” Gaudu continued. “I know it's disastrous when it rains, it's slippery. I was afraid of reliving the adventures of the Dauphiné and the Giro.” However, he didn't crash, but his teammate, Guillaume Martin, did. “It's disappointing to lose him in a crash. It won't be the last crash this year, but... We wanted a result for Guillaume.”

“It feels good, you always have to get off to a good start in the first few days. There are still 18 stages to go; we're staying focused. Tomorrow, Thibaut (Gruel, ed.) will be there, who can make a difference with that finish, so we'll concentrate and try to do our best until the end,” concluded the Frenchman.