Vacansoleil-DCM is back again in stage 8 of the Tour

The clever people of Vacansoleil-DCM all agreed: in stage 8 the fugitives should fight for a podium place. The blue/yellow shirts of team manager Hilaire van der Schueren and Michel Cornelisse therefore had to be there when a group escaped. Lieuwe Westra, Rafael Valls and Johnny Hoogerland succeeded in what was an animated stage to ride emphatically in the spotlight.

It was Johnny Hoogerland who had the greatest success. However there were still no flowers for the popular Hoogerland. “One chance less”, he observed afterwards. “I think this Tour will end in an escape 5 or 6 times. This was one of them, and on Wednesday I think we will get another chance. We will do our best again. Today I showcased myself, but that is not the reason I am here. I realise that it is not easy to win here”.

Due to a lack of cooperation in the breakaway, the final was very erratic. In a lot of the Swiss territory a fierce battle in the peloton ensued. “They rode the same way”, Hoogerland said. “Lieuwe was there and I didn't think we would see the return group, but they kept riding well in the peloton. Then another group came, I knew I had to go with them if I wanted to jump down. In that group they rode very strangely: always running or breaking. I was good but not good enough to join the victors.”

Hoogerland looked back on a good race. “ I like this kind of stage. It means I can easily motivate myself. They raced hard and I joined in. Eighty percent of the peloton tried to join so I didn't do too badly. It gives me hope for the next two weeks.”

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