This Sunday was disputed the 8th and last stage of the Switzerland Toura 10-kilometer climbing in the rise which created enormous deviations. The Portuguese João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) made a real demonstration, winning 25 seconds ahead of Felix Gall (Decathlon Ag2r La Mondiale Team), and more than a minute on Oscar Onley (Team Picnic PostNL). Kévin Vauquelin (Arkea-B & B Hotels), wearer of the yellow jersey before this 8th stage, could not do anything this Sunday and conceded 1'40 “in the Portuguese, who therefore won his first Switzerland Tour. Finally, Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) defended his 3rd place as general, but he completely exploded this Sunday, finishing almost 4 minutes from João Almeida And even being overtaken by the Portuguese during the time.
VIDEO – Joao Almeida after his total triumph on this Tour in Switzerland
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“I immediately felt that it was going to be complicated”
After the end of the 8th stage, he returned to his conditions of the day and the loss of the yellow jersey of Vauquelin : “It was very difficult. I think it was really necessary to be in a big day to make a good time, and I had very bad sensations from the start. I immediately felt that it was going to be complicated. Inevitably, there is a little disappointment, because I would have really liked to finish on the general's podium for the team. But I am still satisfied with the week. It does it for him..
He continues on his beautiful week: “The team behaved super well, the group was really united, there was a super atmosphere. A few days before the Tour de France, it is necessarily positive. I worked hard to arrive in the best possible form for the Tour de France, and this week really reassured me. I have made a lot of effort, and I did not necessarily expect to defend such a good place in the general classification. Today, I have been feeling about it. From the start that it would be hard “.
