I wasn’t the strongest rider today
Voeckler raised his arms just one second before Norway’s
want Edvald Boasson Hagen of Team Sky brought home a 20-strong group, just out-sprinting two of the day’s big heroes: Dutch climber Robert Gesink of Rabobank and Canada’s Ryder Hesjedal of Garmin-Transitions. These two found a second wind to make their sprints on the 4-percent grind to the line after driving a spectacular five-man breakaway that was caught just moments before Voeckler made his winning solo move with one kilometer to go.
“I was lucky,” Voeckler said. “I wasn’t the strongest rider today. That was Hesjedal. He attacked and really made the race. But I had a lot of support from the public. I seem to be as well known here in Québec as at home. And when I was at the back of the race at halfway it was encouraging to get so much support from the people. Thank you, Québec, it was very beautiful day for me.”
Asked when he felt that he was going to win, Voeckler replied, “The first lap I felt fairly good, maybe strong enough to get in the top 10, but not really good enough to win. Really, it was only in the last straightaway that I said to myself that it could work.”
