MICHAEL VALGREN
Michael Valgren recalls an action-packed day on the pavé – but not for the reasons he hoped. The Dane also considers Sky’s reception and spectator hostility
Well, the cobble stage could have been worse. In fact, we came out of it great. I crashed early and that really annoyed me because I wanted to give a hell of a good performance for Jakob. I was involved in the early crash which brought down Richie Porte and a few other guys. There was a big bump in the road that unshipped my chain. When I started pedalling, my bike just went sideways and I came down. This is a gentleman’s sport and we’re all just trying to get to Paris as quickly as possible, so I feel really sh*t about it. But I also don’t really know if it was really my fault either, because somebody was telling me about a spectator who was involved or something.
My role through the first week was pretty much the same every day. One job was to help Jakob move around the peloton and keep him out of danger on the fast and nervous roads. We also had to stay close together because if Jakob needed a new bike, mine was the best fit for him. Luckily, on the pavé, Jakob was fantastically strong and he did a lot by himself without me there. To be in front of almost all the GC riders as we make it to the mountains is a really good result for Astana.
I had a pretty perfect rest day in Annecy. I brought some coffee and Jakob brought the grinder so we woke up and had great coffee to kick-start the day. Then we had an easy breakfast and a decent ride to keep the engine going – I needed it after my crashes in the first week. After lunch, my fiancée visited, which was super nice. It all helped the day go by in a flash. It’s better than another method which some riders use, which is just to lie in bed all day thinking about how hungry you are.
One thing about this Tour has been some of the boos that have greeted Sky. I think the team has responded really well. If it was me who was getting booed every day, I’d be really pissed. There were a few accidents, like when Luke Rowe took that sign off the spectator, but it’s also because sometimes it gets too much. I think there have been some really rude people. It’s a shame, because one of the great things is that people can get so close to the riders. I’ve had some great fan interaction. There was one start where a small kid petted me like I was an animal while I signed autographs! In that way the sport is so great and people are ruining the atmosphere by booing Sky – and just because they are really strong. That’s not their fault. But, I guess, there are always going to be haters.
During the Tour there was also a bit of speculation about which team I’d be going to next year. It’s a strange feeling. Somehow you just want to scream it out so people would know and you can end the speculation but it’s also kind of funny to see what people are thinking. In a way it’s nice that people are interested. It means I am registering with people. But in the end I try not to care too much about it. I’m just happy that I’m feeling happy about my decision.
Anyway, there’s a race on and now we go into the Alps my job changes and I will have to get into some breaks.