Silvan Dillier after second place in Paris-Roubaix: I told Sagan we should work together
Apr 09 2018 02:13 am CET
Photo of Silvan Dillier
Silvan Dillier (AG2R La Mondiale) finished second in Paris-Roubaix after being the lone survivor of the original breakaway.
The Swiss champion was part of the escape throughout the race, until the very end when he arrived to the velodrome with Peter Sagan. "It's hard to describe how I feel. There is a bit of disappointment but above all a great satisfaction," said the rider at the end of the race.
"This morning, I was not thinking of the podium... but I had to find the right recipe along the way. I finished with Peter Sagan, currently the best rider in the world, and I cannot be sad about taking second place."
The front group grew smaller and smaller as the cobbled sections passed and the high pace set by Sagan left only Dillier riding with the World Champion. "In the end, when it was just me and him, I thought the most important thing would be not to get caught, and I told him that we should work together, which is what we did," the rider explained.
"In the sprint, I tried to play on the strength of my track experience, but he was just too strong for me. This second place does show that I am able to transcend myself in a race."
Dillier was not set to ride Paris-Roubaix due to a fractured finger that he suffered during Strade Bianche, which made him miss most of the cobbled classics. With the absence of Rudy Barbier, who crashed in the Tour of Flanders, the Swiss took his position in the French race.
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEEDS