ProTeam "The highlight of my career": Victor Campenaerts blasts to victory in stage 18 of the Tour de France
"If I can win a stage, it will be stage 18." That was Victor Campenaerts' prediction back in December already. And look: six months later, he did it. Between Gap and Barcelonnette, Vocsnor showed incredible strength. Campenaerts broke away on the Col du Festre, the first climb of the day, initially with several other riders. But on the Côte de Saint-Apollinaire, the leading group started to fall apart. With 40 kilometers to go, only Victor Campenaerts, Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies), and MichaÅ‚ Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadiers) remained. "I knew this was my only option to win a stage, I was already focused on it before the season began. I was highly motivated: I warmed up on the rollers before the stage, my bike was perfectly tuned. I even had special time trial tires put on. This had to be the day. Riding in a breakaway with Kwiatkowski is an honor in itself, but we worked very well together, the three of us."
Campenaerts is extremely happy with his victory. "A true pro must ride the Tour de France, finish the Tour de France, and win a stage in the Tour de France. That is everyone's dream, and now, here in Barcelonnette, I can make it come true. It’s unbelievable. I’ve had the full support of my team over the past weeks. I went on a nine-week high-altitude training camp to prepare. All that time, my girlfriend, heavily pregnant, was by my side. While the rest of the team prepared for this Tour in the Dauphiné or the Tour of Switzerland, we were in the hospital in Spain for the birth of our son. That week was supposed to be a heavy training week for me. 'See what you can do,' my coach said. But I was tireless. Since Gustaaf was born, I’ve been riding on clouds."
"This is the highlight of my career, and I’m very happy to share it with this team. A young team, with little experience. But we are showing ourselves here. With Arnaud De Lie in almost every sprint, with a beautiful time trial. The atmosphere within the team is fantastic, and you can be sure that we are going to celebrate tonight."
Photo: PhotoNews