Vuelta a España - Esteban Chaves: Yesterday made me feel like a rider again
Aug 23 2017 12:49 am CET
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEEDSOrica-Scott rider Esteban Chaves surprised himself and most of the cycling world by positioning himself near the top of the standings in the Vuelta a España.
The Colombian was the only rider that was able to follow Chris Froome's wheel when the Briton attacked near the end of the third stage. Others later joined, but needed to make much more of an effort to do so.
"To have arrived yesterday with the best riders is special and makes me feel like a rider again," the rider told Spanish broadcaster RTVE. "But we can't get overexcited, because it was only one stage. There are still many stages to go, so we have to keep the feet on the ground, the head low and keep working day by day.
"We have another advantage with the Yates brothers, who are also in a good position in the General Classification, and we have the big guys taking care of us."
Chaves did not expect the third stage to be that difficult but Team Sky clearly had different plans.
"Yesterday I was surprised, but every year this race surprises me because it always brings me joy. Yesterday it was a surprise and I didn't expect that one team was going to make the race so difficult, I thought everybody was going to be reserved. Sky took the reins of the race and made it very aggressive.
"Chris Froome came to congratulate me, to praise my work and I also congratulated him, he is a very good person and I consider him also a friend.
"There is still a lot to go, but I think our team has some of the best riders in the world, the three of us have been in the top 10 of Grand Tours and if everything goes well, we work well, and we have discipline and love, we can do very nice things like what happened last year."
The South American is prepared for what is to come, and expects stage 5 to require the highest possible level of concentration.
"Tomorrow I will have to be very well positioned, which I think will be the most difficult part about the stage. Fortunately we have these big guys that can put us in a good position for when the climbing starts, and from then on it is for the riders that have the better legs."
