Simon Clarke "still can’t believe" maiden Tour de France win on chaotic cobblestones day

Simon Clarke was one of the rider who very few would've predicted to even be in contention for today's stage of the Tour de France, however the Israel - Premier Tech rider has net the stage win in Arenberg after a successful day spent in the breakaway.

“I mean, after winter I had, I had no team and Israel-Premier Tech rang me up. I was given that chance… Today is the reality check that everything can happen if you take the opportunity," Clarke said emotionally after the stage. Away from his specialty terrain - the hills - the Australian was told to be in the day's breakaway, but he would've never imagined that he would be succeeding in such a way.

"The first few days of the Tour, I was looking after the team. But this morning, the team director said: ‘Clarkey, today is a breakaway day!’ The stages I won at La Vuelta and the pink jersey I had at the Giro all came in the first week of the race. So I thought today was maybe the day… But I still can’t believe it," he added. The escapee group collaborated well all day long keeping the peloton away, and fought for the stage win inside the final kilometer. Clarke took advantage of riding in the wheels of Edvald Boasson Hagen and Taco van der Hoorn inside the final kilometer, timing his move to perfection as he outsprinted the Dutchman in the very last meters of the stage.

"I passed Taco less than 50 meters to go. I gave my bike the biggest throw I could. My stages at La Vuelta came in similar finishes. I chose to sit back and hope for the other guys to crack before. I really had to chase Edvald down. We’ve been sprinting since the last corner. I went as hard as I could until the line," he described.

I moved to Europe for racing when I was 16 and I’ll turn 36 on the second rest day of the Tour, so after 20 years, now the dream comes true. Hi to everyone in Australia and thanks for the support through all those years," Clarke concluded.