'Rusty' Yates wasn’t aiming for the win, but experience made the difference: "We know why we’re really here"

Ultimately, his experience helped him prevail, as he explains in the flash interview. “To be honest, yes. I didn't feel that good during the ride. It was a tough start, and many strong riders surrounded me. That's why I took advantage in the last corners of the descent before the climb started. I hoped to start with a lead. From there, I just had to do my best.”

Thymen Arensman put up a great fight for a long time but was ultimately defeated in the final hundred meters. For Yates, it has been six years since he won his last Tour stage. "It's been a while! I didn't really expect any chances here. We came here with our full focus on Jonas (Vingegaard, ed.) and the GC. The stage ended up evolving in a way that allowed me to fight for the stage win, and I grabbed it with both hands.“

After the stage win, the focus is now entirely on the yellow jersey dream of team leader Jonas Vingegaard. “From the start. We know why we’re really here. Even today, the plan was to stay there in case something happened from behind. But the gap was too big, so I kept going and was able to go for the stage win.” Vingegaard was able to hold off Tadej Pogacar's attack and lost no time to his Slovenian rival.

Yates won the Giro in May, and the stage victory in the Tour makes it a nice double. “It's not easy,” laughs the climber. “I'm still a bit tired from that race, but I'm getting better every day. I'm still a bit rusty; the first stages demanded a lot from me. However, I'm making progress in the race. I'm looking forward to the rest day and the rest of the race.”