"I have obtained some big victories with this team and we set out here to achieve another one. I fulfilled the mission we set ourselves as a team. I'd have liked to have raised my arms earlier, but we stuck together. I knew that it would come, today or tomorrow, and I know how to be patient even if it's not easy mentally."
Valerio Conti (UAE Team Emirates) - overall leader
"I hope nothing bad happened to my team mate Simone Consonni in the crash. I was well protected by my team the whole day. I thank them for giving me one more day in the Maglia Rosa."
Rudiger Selig (Bora-Hangrohe) - second place
"I think [Pascal Ackermann] crashed off my back wheel as I started my lead-out for him. Unluckily, one rider, I think it was [Jacopo] Guarnieri came from the left and blocked me and I had to break really hard then I just heard a really big noise and looked back and saw Pascal on the bottom so it's not a very nice feeling.
"I can see it doesn't look very good, we will see how he is after a shower and then again tomorrow but he is a fighter.
"Today we tried a different way and came from the back after 150 kilometres to preserve some energy and then come with one quick move to the front. Then with 1km to go we were never in the wind but then it's like a poker game, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."
Conor Dunne (Israel Cycling Academy)
"I think everyone knew it was going to be hectic at the end there after 150km of pan flat it was always going to end with a 20km crit. It was really fast and there was nearly a crash with about 10km to go and it was nervous from then on really so I was just trying to do my best for [Davide] Cimolai today, give it the beans and hopefully he could get up there.
"It's all about shaving the beard off really. I shave it off yesterday and now I've got an aero advantage, streamlined.
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"I'm happy with how I'm going to be honest and how I'm finishing races. I didn't have much racing coming into this and was lacking a little bit of steam the first couple of days, but I'm happy how I'm going at my second Grand Tour, hanging in there. We'll see how I'm going come the mountains but I'm really enjoying it."
Kim Andersen (Trek-Segafredo DS)
"I think it's better than it first looked. He's very hurt, he's hurt but should be ok. I didn't see the crash, I've asked my riders but I think it was [Pascal] Ackermann that went down first and caught Matteo [Moschetti] who went down on the left.
"He's in the x-ray van now to take a picture, I think it's shoulder that was hurt and we'll see what's happened and we'll hope for the best."
Miles Scotson (Groupama-FDJ)
"It's been a tough time for Arnaud [Demare], he's our leader and there's a lot of pressure on him. After the last sprint stages we had, the mood was pretty low on the bus and we were all pretty tired from the effort and we did a lot of work and it wasn't coming off. Today we though do we even ride from the beginning and finally he delivered.
"I saw the crash coming through there after with a few of the sprinters on the ground. I came through a bit later as I had done my work earlier and I think Arnaud kept ahead of it and safe so that's good.
"My role was to make sure a big break didn't go and it was only two guys, so after that just controlling it and making it come back not too early and not use an extra guy. The job today wasn't too hard compared to last week but I think I had the motivation to really work as a team and try again, it's super."
