Kruijswijk and Roglic without problems towards the Pyrenees
Steven Kruijswijk and Primoz Roglic have finished the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France without any problems. In the company of Robert Gesink and Antwan Tolhoek, they finished in the peloton of the favourites just over thirteen minutes behind the stage winner. In the overall ranking nothing changed. Roglic remains fourth, Kruijswijk seventh.
The stage to Carcassonne was very hectic from the start. Robert Gesink tried to be in several breakaways in the first hour, but didn't manage to get away.
Team LottoNL-Jumbo captain Kruijswijk thought it was a great day. “It was going very fast from the start. There were attacks constantly and there was a lot of wind. Also in the final. It certainly wasn’t an extra rest day for us. There was a risk for echelons as well, so we had to pay attention and stay in the front all day. Robert and the other boys protected Primoz and me very well. Hopefully I’ll get through the rest day well and than we’ll go for it in the Pyrenees.”
Gesink tried to get in the decisive breakaway several times. “It was a war from the start and the stage was far from easy. Eventually, a group managed to get away when I had to catch my breath. After that, I stayed with the boys to support them as well as possible. A stage like today’s is potentially dangerous, but we got through it well.”