Georg Zimmermann disappointed with second place at Tour de France breakaway: "Of course there is some disappointment"

Georg Zimmermann has proved to be a specialist in the rolling days and is in seek of more stage wins to his palmarès. After the Criterium du Dauphiné the German almost won at the Tour de France, but came up just short on stage 10.

“I was in a similar situation as in the Critérium du Dauphiné, where I took the upper hand in a sprint with two," he said in a post-race interview. The Intermarché - Circus - Wanty rider thrived in a day where many suffered, infiltrating the breakaway, resisting the attacks on the climbs and being part of the five-rider group which chased down Krists Neilands and saw itself in position to win. The German launched an attack inside the final kilometer which could only be followed by Pello Bilbao, but in the two-up sprint he didn't play his cards well.

"Of course there is some disappointment after this second place, but since I had the legs to win, I can be optimistic. I may have made a mistake by opting for too much resistance (a big gear, ed.) at the start of the sprint. My legs took a while to get up to speed, while Bilbao was creating a gap.”

With the Basque rider winning the stage and climbing up the GC it was a big win day for Bahrain - Victorious, whilst Zimmermann had to settle with an 'almost. “I managed to sprint to his wheel, but it was already too late. I remember a flat sprint against Bilbao in the Tour of Germany last year. I hoped he would prioritize his GC ambitions rather than the stage win. But in the end he had the best punch," he concluded.