Mark Cavendish and his Team Columbia-HTC teammates.(Image credit: AFP)
Lance Armstrong (c) made the split as the stage neared its end in La Grande Motte.(Image credit: AFP)
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) - second on stage, 40th overall @ 2:02
"Today was a perfect opportunity for us. I was closer, but I will have to take a bigger chance if I want to beat Cavendish. I've started this Tour in good shape, but Mark is just faster right now. But I hope that I get the possibility to beat him in this Tour de France, because Cavendish is not unbeatable."
"Shortly before the group got away, I told Linus that we should move up to the front. With that extreme wind condition I expected an attack. A few seconds later I turned around and we were away. In the break, I did everything for Linus, so that he could make up time in the overall rankings."
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo Test Team) - 94th on stage, 26th overall @ 1:47
"I committed an error by staying back at the least opportune moment and my teammates stayed back with me to wait for me. It wasn't a dangerous situation, because I was in the second group, but we could have easily all moved together at the front.
"I was thinking to myself that I just have to forget about it when I looked around and saw all the important general classification riders back, except Armstrong. I didn't give too much importance to the situation and I finished the race surrounded by my teammates, turning my attention towards the team time trial, which is very important for the coming days.
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"How I feel? Poor. But that's the Tour, every day something may happen. The most dangerous days are those on which you do not expect [anything]."
"It is unfortunate that throughout the day we were on the front and then everything happens in a few seconds. Lance Amstrong, the men of Columbia say thank you. He had perfect allies to suddenly turn 'alive and kicking'. I rode a little too far to the rear, 40th or so, when the break went. Subsequently, only Silence-Lotto chased, I saw nothing from other teams.
"Fortunately for the final rankings only Armstrong really benefitted. We rode in the chase because we don't want to give the Americans two miuntes. Apparently the other teams see him as an opponent... we do." (Sporza.be)
"Fabian Wegmann sacrificed himself for me today and worked very hard. He had the right sense for this race situation. Today's results are extra motivation for the whole team going into tomorrow's team time trial."
Hayden Roulston (Cervelo Test Team) - 26th on stage, 48th overall @ 2:08
"Everybody knew the wind was going to play a factor today. Columbia moved to the front and as soon as they turned a right corner they turned on the gas. It was good that I was there with Thor. It was good that Thor was second, but we have to say that Cavendish was just faster. You have to be smart to beat him."
