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Brussels, Belgium, July 4, 2019 – Earlier today, Richie Porte, Bauke Mollema and Jasper Stuyven spoke to the press at the pre-race press conference ahead of the Tour de France.
Richie Porte: "I must admit I haven't had the season that I wanted to have so far, so to go into the Tour under a lot less pressure than in the last few years is not a bad thing. The form is pretty good, I just need to stay healthy, but I am happy in the team. I think we have a good team here. Sunday in the team time trial is where it's all going to start for us a team. It will be a critical stage for us to not lose too much time. But we've got some strong guys; in training we've been good, we've been fast, we've been smooth, and that's the way to pull off a good team time trial.
"It hasn't been a slower start to the season because I wanted it that way. My race program had to change a few times because I kept getting sick, but it's nice to turn up in July not on fumes, which happened to me in the last few years. I am not under pressure really from the team, other than to take it one day at the time and see how it all goes. I think the last three stages in the Alps are really where it's going to be decided anyhow. It's not a bad thing to be coming in a little bit underdone.
"This year I've done more altitude training than I've ever done, training in Sierra Nevada, Utah, and just before arriving here, in Isola 2000. We looked at the stages in the Alps just after the Dauphiné. It wasn't the easiest recon, coming off the race tired, but these stages are always going to be hard since they're at the end of the three weeks. The GC is probably going to be pretty much set by then, but obviously you don't want to have a bad day then. It will be hard for teams to control these stages anyway.
"Bauke finished 5th in the Giro and we've just done a training camp together, so I know he's absolutely flying. He's also a good GC-card for us to play. To have guys like him and Giulio Ciccone, coming from the Giro too, that's some solid climbing power for us. Bauke is definitely going well and if everything is under control, why not repeat the scenario of two years ago, where he won a stage?"
Bauke Mollema: "I hope to have recovered well enough after the Giro to help Richie in the mountains. I didn't race since the Giro. The Giro went well, I took some rest afterwards and did a good training camp to prepare for the Tour. It's a bit of a question to know how the form is. It's hard to say what my level is at the moment, but I am feeling good. Two years ago it turned out to be a good combination doing the Giro and then the Tour with Alberto (Contador) so hopefully it will be as good this year too. We have a strong confidence in Richie."
Jasper Stuyven: "I think I will be allowed to sprint, but I think everybody knows that in the Tour it's super hard to do it on your own. I think I will also need some luck to maybe one day be in the good leadout train who is able to put their sprinter in a perfect position and on other days I will maybe have to put some effort myself to be in the perfect position so my sprint won't be as good as I would like it to be. I think I will definitely be able to grab my chances.
"I won't have to lead Richie to the last kilometer, we have Koen here who is really good for that. It's nice to know that I can go for my own chances on those days. Going to an important point in the Classics is always a big fight, but in my experience in the Tour de France, everybody is always up for a war for positioning, so it will be chaos anyway."
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