“Recovery is going really well …”
How do you feel physically and mentally after the fall?
I feel pretty good, so it's promising. Recovery is going really well. My injuries are already healed, which shows that my body is in good shape and heals quickly. I am really happy with the progression. I have not yet got back on the bike, because the collarbone must heal a little. But given the circumstances and progress, I am satisfied. And I haven't needed painkillers since yesterday or today, so it's a good thing.
Can you tell us about your Sunday day? It was a highlight for your team, with Mathieu Van der Poel and Rickaert in the breakaway. And can you explain who is Rickaert, for those who do not follow cycling on a daily basis?
Yes, Jonas Rickaert is an excellent pilot fish, very reliable. I have been working with him since I joined the team. He plays a crucial role in our sprint train. He knows when to go up, manage the positions, sometimes he is the last man, sometimes the penultimate. It's great that a runner like Jonas (Rickaert) had a little light on the turn. It is not given to many. He is passionate, very strong, and he deserved this recognition by going up on the podium of the Tour de France.
“It was a very bad race incident …”
There have been a lot of criticism against Bryan Coquard after the fall, especially on social networks. Some have said that he should no longer run. What is your reaction?
Yes, it was a very bad race incident. I know what it is to undergo criticism after a sprint. On the turn, everything is scrutinized with a magnifying glass. This time, it fell on Bryan (Coquard). It was a fall that might not have happened, but it took place. We can't go back. And I think there is not really someone to blame. The public is still looking for an official, a “bad guy”. This time it was him. But frankly, there is not much to add.
Have you received messages from other runners after your fall?
Yes, I received a lot, from the team, other runners, in and out of the Tour. It's nice to receive this support. All cyclists know what it is to prepare for months for a goal, and lose everything in an instant. It's hard, physically but also mentally. Bryan Coquard also sent me a message, I really appreciated. It was a nice gesture from him.
This is not your first fall. But would you say that it is the one that affected you the most, physically and mentally? And why?
Maybe, yes. Physically, certainly. I very rarely had fractures, I thought my very solid bones. This is not the case. Mentally too, probably. This season, in Nokere Koerse, I was in great shape after a big winter preparation for the classics. I had started well, but I quickly fell, a big blow. And there, it's the same thing. I worked for months after the classics. We had already been successful at the start of the Tour, which I am proud of. But having to leave the Tour while there were so much left … it's very hard to take. And now you have to start all over again. It's really mentally hard.
