At the Tour de France

Professional cyclist Gall: “I woke up drenched in sweat”

Felix Gall is heading into a tough final week at the Tour de France.

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Professional cyclist Felix Gall heads into the tough final week of the Tour de France in top shape after minor problems and with the aim of improving his position in the overall standings. Several mountain stages and the final mountain time trial await him before the finish in Nice on Sunday. Before the flat 16th stage on Tuesday, the winner of last year's queen stage is in eleventh place. The top ten are within reach, but the top places are already far away.

After two tough stages in the Pyrenees with slight problems, but nevertheless strong results, Gall felt great again on the rest day in Gruissan. "I'm in top shape. The last two days I felt a bit strange, I slept badly and woke up drenched in sweat. But I feel much better again today," said Gall on Monday afternoon after a refreshment break on the Mediterranean with coffee and desserts such as an eclair.

Last year's eight-year-old was satisfied with the course of the tour so far, but wants to work his way forward. "I'm not yet in the top ten, which is what I would have liked on the second rest day. But I would say the trend is upwards. The results were good for the fact that I didn't feel that great. I'm very happy with how it went in the end. The goal is still the overall classification," emphasized Gall.

The memory of the stage win and his strong third week at the 2023 Tour should inspire him. "I feel good, I'm healthy and I have the full support of the team," emphasized the 26-year-old. Last year's experience will also help. "I think I'm more relaxed, I have more self-confidence. And that I'm less stressed about the third week."

Top ten is within reach
He is already 17 minutes behind the clear leader Tadej Pogacar. However, he is only half a minute off the top ten. The sixth-placed rider is already more than five ahead of him. Gall expects the gap to widen considerably. "It's still a tough week ahead of us. A lot can and will happen on the last three stages. It's still relatively close in front of me, but there will be big gaps on the stage with the Cime de la Bonnette at 2,800 m."

That's why a 20-second penalty for accepting a water bottle from the team car late without permission shouldn't matter to him. "That would obviously be very bitter if it made a difference, but I don't think so, the gaps will be much bigger."

Jonas Vingegaard (left) and Tadej Pogacar

(Bild: AFP/APA/Thomas SAMSON)

In addition to focusing on the overall classification, he has not yet written off another stage win. There are still several opportunities for this in the Alps, but hardly in a direct battle against Pogacar and his pursuer Jonas Vingegaard. "It's not really realistic from the group of favorites. A stage win is only possible via a breakaway group," said Gall. The best chance of this happening is in the mountain finishes in Isola on Friday after the Bonette and on the Col de la Couillole on Saturday. In the final mountain time trial to Nice, he will not be able to intervene in the battle for the top positions due to weaknesses in this discipline.

Pogacar in a league of his own
Pogacar, who is clearly ahead of Vingegaard, is in a league of his own and seems untouchable, said Gall. But Vingegaard and others like him also break historic Tour record times in the mountains almost every day. Gall has no quick explanation for this. "I can't say exactly what it is or pin it down to anything in particular."

Some of his overall rivals such as Juan Ayuso and other professionals have dropped out with corona. Gall said that some in the peloton were coughing and did not look healthy. But he was not worried. "Of course, you have to be careful, use a bit of common sense and follow the hygiene rules."