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Interviews
Oscar Pereiro - "I’ll be riding at my limit..."
The Caisse d’Epargne team controlled the peloton on the roads between Montelimar and Gap. Oscar Pereiro recognised that the efforts of his colleagues helped him maintain the lead of the general classification for another day. What will transpire in the Alps is a mystery to the Spaniard but he promises not to surrender his lead without a fight.
“Today was a very good day. I had good sensations and it’s important to say thank you very much to the whole team because they worked very well. In the final, I knew that I would earn another day in yellow and it’s thanks to the work done by my team-mates.
“I’m a little tired but on the final climb today I still felt good and was able to stay at the front of the peloton. I think that I’ve got some good form.
“Of course, it’s my intention to defend the yellow jersey but I really don’t how it will finish in the Alps but I’ll be riding at my limit to make this moment last as long as possible.
“One day in the yellow jersey at the Tour de France is a big experience; something every rider dreams about. It’s special for me but it’s also a prize for the entire team because without them I know that this wouldn’t have been possible."
Pierrick Fedrigo – “No turning back…â€
The winner of the 14th stage was so close to being involved in the crash that ended the hopes of Rik Verbrugghe and David Canada. Pierrick Fedrigo knew that there was no time to reflect on the accident. He focused on the challenge of beating Salvatore Commesso at the finish and achieved that ambition in fine style.
“This is a change from all the times that we’ve been trapped. I managed to remain well focused in the final kilometer and came into the finale on the wheel of Commesso without any panic and I knew there was no turning back… and it all worked out.
“At the moment of the crash I felt the bike of Verbrugghe touch my shoulder. I saw him fall but I managed to remain balanced. Eventually the disappointment of some gave joy to others; it’s really a big shame that it had to end this way... Actually, when it happened I didn’t even consider what to do. There was no time for questions, you only think of the effort that you still have to put in.â€
Jean-Rene Bernaudeau (Bouygues Telecom) - "The first is always the hardest..."
The manager of the Bouygues Telecom team can finally celebrate a stage victory in the Tour de France. Jean-Rene Bernaudeau insists that Pierrick Fedrigo rode the perfect race to overcome Salvatore Commesso in the finale.
“I am pleased to see what Pierrick achieved. He is a rider of pure quality but he isn’t a rider who usually chases glory, he’s just a man who loves riding his bike. At the end of the stage it was a particularly difficult situation but a rider of his experience need not crack under pressure. I was afraid about Commesso because I didn’t think he would work in the final two kilometers. If that was the case, we would have lost and it would have been the worst day of the Tour for us, instead it’s the most beautiful!
"Commesso is really a cunning rider and he’s hard to handle but Pierrick knew exactly what he had to do. It’s a win for intelligent tactics versus pure power.
“The first victory is always the hardest to achieve. This morning I started to have doubts because we were really focused on the transitional stages between the Pyrenees and the Alps but there was no need to be concerned.â€
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Sunday 16 July 2006 
