'I don't think I've had a time in my life like this,' says Dane
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Jakob Fuglsang (Astana)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jakob Fuglsang (Astana)
Jakob Fuglsang in yellow after the Critérium du Dauphiné's final stage(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jakob Fuglsang (Astana)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jakob Fuglsang takes the eighth and final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, and with it, the overall title.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Jakob Fulgsang (Astana) believes that he might be able to sneak away on stage 8 of the Tour de France as the current podium contenders watch each other on the final climb.
The Danish rider lies 15th overall, 1:33 off Chris Froome's yellow jersey after seven stages of racing, but has teammate Fabio Aru just 14 seconds off the maillot jaune. Fuglsang, who won the Critérium du Dauphiné, knows the final climb at Station des Rousses having ridden it in the services of Andy Schleck in 2010, and senses that there could be an opportunity for him to exploit.
"I don't think that everyone will wait for Sunday's harder stage but with around 10 to 15 kilometres on the plateau after the climb on stage 8 I think that will change something," he told Cyclingnews.
Of the two weekend stages, it is stage 9 to Chambery that holds the most testing parcours. The route from Nantua to Chambery contains seven categorised climbs, including the Col de la Biche, the Grand Colombier and the Mont du Chat. The final ascent was raced in the Dauphiné with Fuglsang among the leaders who crested the climb before taking the sprint ahead of Richie Porte and Chris Froome.
"June has been a very good month and of course winning Dauphiné, having my first child, and signing a contract for the next two years makes we relaxed and calm. It has given me the ability to just focus on the race now and give it my maximum. I don't think I've had a time in my life like this. It's going to be hard to beat."
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
