“We can all have bad days, we are not machines,” said the Spaniard from INEOS, 1:16 off the podium
MADRID, 19 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish rider Carlos Rodríguez (INEOS Grenadiers) confessed that he had “broken legs” since the start of the seventeenth stage of the Tour de France, played between Saint Gervais Mont Blanc and Courchevel and in which he has lost time compared to Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) in his fight for the podium.
“It has been a very tough stage from the beginning, especially taking into account that yesterday many of us gave up everything. My legs were busted from the beginning. It has been a stage of suffering, of bowing our heads. The team has helped me ‘out of ten’, minimizing losses and setting a high pace in front to do as much damage as possible”, he commented at the finish line.
Rodríguez stressed that Adam Yates, who led him by 1 minute and 11 seconds at the Courchevel summit, “has been strong.” “We have tried to do the best possible. I have to be happy because I have given everything at the finish line. Tadej? He had a fall that I don’t know what affected him. We can all have bad days, we are not machines,” he said.
The rider from Granada pointed out that he still has options to reach the podium, but declared himself satisfied with his role in his Tour debut. “This is the Tour. Today we have seen Tadej have a bad day. You never know who can fail. I hope it’s not me. We’ll see,” he stressed.
Regarding the penultimate stage, between Belfort and Le Markstein Fellering, of 133.5 kilometers and with 3 second-class and two first-category ports, he said that it is “quite tough”. “We will try. I have to be happy with how I am doing things”, said the man from Almuñécar.