“I’m absolutely exhausted! Over 100 km in the breakaway today, so my mind and legs are completely out of energy,” Lach admitted immediately after the finish.
“The plan today was to get into the early breakaway, and that worked out well. The whole team was active from the start, and a few of us tried to attack. When I saw the right moment, I jumped away and a few riders followed me. That left just five of us up front.”
“On the climbs, I had to ride my own pace, which is why I was always at the front. I also wanted to win the intermediate sprints—there was a watch to win. Once I was in the breakaway, I thought, ‘Why not go for that watch?’ It was a nice bonus,” Marta laughed.
“The polka dot jersey wasn’t our main goal, but by setting the pace on every climb, I automatically collected the points. It’s great to wear this jersey. We’ll see how far I can take it.”
“During the stage, I had to keep my fellow breakaway riders motivated. There were four of us, but in reality only three. Amber Kraak didn’t really take a turn, which I understand. So I repeatedly took the lead to keep the breakaway alive.”
“I knew Amber would attack on the final climb, but I had to hold my pace, otherwise I would have completely blown up and probably wouldn’t have even finished in the top ten. I tried to latch back on, but didn’t close the gap much. On the flat, I maintained my speed well and didn’t lose any more time.”
“The last corner was still nerve-wracking. I rode straight on. I knew it was tricky, but after such a tough day my head and legs weren’t working together, and I missed the marshal’s signal. Fortunately, I had a big advantage, so it didn’t have major consequences.”
“I’m very happy with today’s performance and will head into the final two stages with plenty of new energy!”