Van der Poel defeated in Luxembourg: Gaudu ecstatic with stage win, Tiberi with overall victory

"It is great to win the stage here," Gaudu said with a big smile in the flash interview. The 27-year-old climber managed to escape from his breakaway companions at the last hurdle of the day before crossing the finish line solo. We eventually found him third, behind Tiberi and Van der Poel. 

"I had only won once this year, so a victory like that is extra nice," the athletic rider continued, referring to his triumph in the Tour du Jura (mid-April). "Moreover, the year before was not exactly a nice year for me. That makes this victory extra special. It's a mental boost."

According to Gaudu, Sunday afternoon in Luxembourg was particular. "It was hectic throughout," he referred to the opening phase, in which the big guns showed themselves right from the front. "For me, it was then a matter of following. Eventually, everything sort of came back together, and three guys got in front. So, for us, it was wait, wait a bit, and wait even more. I want to thank my teammates in that respect for doing a lot of work. They made sure I stayed out of trouble."

"I wasn't far behind Van der Poel in the GC. I wanted to gain a few seconds on him," Gaudu concluded. "Then, when Tiberi rode away on one of the climbs, I thought that was an opportune moment to jump along. I let him lead and decided to attack in the last meters of the final climb. That's what happened, and that's great. My next race is the World Championship in Zurich. I'm going there with a lot of confidence. I'm in good shape."

Of course, Tiberi was also ecstatic. The Italian is not a frequent winner, but through his hard work, he took the win. "This is obviously great," the climber from San Marino said. "I want to thank everyone on the team."

"If I'm really honest, this final stage was only the first stage where I really had a good feeling in my legs," the overall winner smilingly concluded. "In the time trial, I also came second and was very satisfied, but this was the icing on the cake. I got up with a good feeling, and it all paid off in the end."