Van Avermaet: "My future is to keep the yellow jersey in Roubaix"

And six! Greg Van Avermaet will wear this Sunday in the stage of paving North, the yellow jersey for the sixth time on this Tour, as he had dreamed.

With the three worn two years ago, the Flandrien has a collection of nine yellow jerseys that he intends to increase by one unit still on the podium in Roubaix. Where the Olympic champion hopes to double-win by winning the stage that will punctuate the first part of this 105th edition.

"My future is to keep the yellow jersey in Roubaix", he smiled to the question of what would be his future. "I can not say anything at the moment, my manager and the team manager will talk about it better than I. I hope to hear from you in the days to come."

Before that, then, the Olympic champion wants to strike a big blow between Arras and Amiens, on roads where, last year, he won the only monument on his record, Paris-Roubaix.

"We have two playing cards at BMC" continued the yellow jersey. "That of Richie (Porte) of course and mine." Taking him to the final podium in Paris is our main objective, for which he will be surrounded by six men this Sunday, while I will be able to evolve freely. I hope Richie will stay with me for as long as possible and then, at the end, if I can follow suit for the victory, I'll do it. "

Because Greg Van Avermaet does not want to compare stage that awaits us with the Queen of Clbadics.

"The first eight days of racing will in any case influence the progress of the stage, ," he badyzed. A clbadic is really specific Some runners are good on one day and not on a race with stages, others, it's the opposite, I'm able to give everything on a day, to surpbad myself This stage will not be comparable to a clbadic, the pack will be different from the one from Paris-Roubaix, the distance too.It will be special because even riders who ride well on the paving stones will have to surround their leader as much as possible.But there will still be pavers and in sufficient number.This is really very good to have a stage like this on the Tour de France. "

A Tour that many describe as boring since his departure, a little over a week ago, in Vendée.

"The circumstances especially dictated that it was less exciting than expected" says the yellow jersey. "In recent days, the weather played a big role, and if there had been a good wind in the last two stages, it would have been different, or if it had rained, the course was varied and interesting, but the weather has changed everything. "