Mike Teunissen claims surprising win at Renewi Tour after a gamble: "I was the least fresh of the group, so I had to play all or nothing"

Mike Teunissen cleverly won the third stage of the Renewi Tour on Friday. Despite being dropped late in the race, the Dutchmen came back to win the final sprint of a reduced group.

"I was the least fresh of the group, so I had to play all or nothing," Teunissen said in the flash interview.

"This is a nice present. Last year I turned 30 and it hurt. I'm getting old, I thought. But I am now showing that I am not yet worn out," said Teunissen on his birthday. The Intermarché-Circus-Wanty rider took matters into his own hands on Friday by anticipating early on. "That's how I ended up in that group of favorites. It had taken a lot of strength, but I was still able to follow."

Teunissen then had to let go on the last hill, but was able to return to the front of the race together with Florian Vermeersch and Yves Lampaert. "They were good riders to be in the chasing group, they always want to ride. I was pretty fucked up, so after that I had to gamble. The rest were fresher than me. I'm glad it worked out in the end."