Groenewegen is fed up with second place: "Thought I had it, but another green rival prevails"

Dylan Groenewegen hadn't been as competitive in the Tour de France before, but despite that, there were still a few bike lengths separating him from the stage 11 winner, Jasper Philipsen. As a result, the Dutch rider from Team Jayco-AlUla isn't content with settling for second place in the sprint.

"In general, it went pretty well," responded Groenewegen when asked by the NOS about his sprint. "Luka (Mezgec) demonstrated once again that he's one of the best lead-out men. I haven't reviewed the sprint yet, but I initiated my move and he managed to overtake me with greater speed. There was still a significant distance to the finish, and I anticipated an attack from Kristoff, but not much happened. So, I thought, 'I'll give it a go myself.' For a while, I had hopes that it would succeed, but as you approach those final meters, another green jersey contender surpasses you."

A green competitor named Jasper Philipsen emerged victorious once again. The Belgian rider from Alpecin-Deceuninck has proven to be the strongest in all the sprint stages of this Tour. However, without a lead-out, he might have been vulnerable in this particular stage. Groenewegen, visibly frustrated, asks, "Was he on my wheel?" as the journalists nod in confirmation. "Well then, I was nicely marked by him, eh. He's skilled at that. He didn't win four times in this Tour for no reason. We're getting closer and improving, but our aim is to win, and once again, I couldn't achieve that today."

Groenewegen 'fed up' with second place

Groenewegen reflects on the current situation in one sprint as "the art of sprinting." It's disappointing because the sprinters will have to wait until the later stages of the third week for their remaining two sprint opportunities. "Our patience is being tested now. It's just unfortunate because I woke up this morning with the belief that it would be a good day. In the end, I ended up in second place. When someone is faster and overtakes you, there's not much you can do about it. Nonetheless, our team performed exceptionally well. Now, it's a week of surviving and then we'll continue to give our all in Paris."

That may sound positive, but deep down, the innate winner in Groenewegen is seething. "I'm truly fed up with this. I absolutely dislike being second. I'd prefer to finish tenth rather than second, but if someone is superior, then so be it. I'm tired of it, but I'll keep pushing forward."