Stage 12 of the 2015 Vuelta a Espana was one of agony for Maxime Bouet as he was caught within the final 200 metres after a long day in the breakaway to see his dreams of a breakthrough grand tour stage disappear. Stage 12 of the 2016 Vuelta a Espana was another day of despair for the Etixx-QuickStep rider who recorded his best result yet in a three week race.
The 29-year-old was at the front of affairs as the peloton rushed into Bilbao but when Jens Keukeleire (Orica-BikeExchange) hit out in the final few hundred metres, Bouet had to settle for second place.
"There was a stronger rider than me, that's all. I think I rode the finale of my life," said Bouet. "In the last climb I was OK but during the stage I was often on the limit. Everybody is tired. Such a shame to finish second. Last year in a Vuelta stage I was caught with 200 metres to go and this time I'm so close. I started the sprint with 300 metres to go because nobody had already gone."
ADVERTISEMENT
Bouet, who is moving to French Pro-Continental squad Fortuneo Vital Concept from 2017, explained that a lack of self-confidence proved costly but he had to be content with a podium result
"The problem is that I didn't believe in myself. I'm going for a podium, not for a win. It's silly because I'm convinced I could win. I make mistakes because I don't believe in myself enough. Today I proved to some people I could do well on sheer strength, not only in breakaways. I can't wait for next year," Bouet said.
Bouet's last professional victory came in 2013 at the Giro del Trentino and vowed to continue his fight to end his streak.
Vuelta a Espana stage 12 Video Highlights
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2bVbCz6
No comments:
Post a Comment