"The entire team has really risen above themselves" - Laurens De Plus impressed by how INEOS Grenadiers rode this Giro d'Italia despite unluck

Pink jersey Geraint Thomas came out of the queen stage without much damage. His teammate Laurens De Plus has a share in that.

The 27-year old rode like a motorbike ahead of Thomas for kilometers today. After the Belgian climber was released, he returned to do some head work again. "The entire team has really risen above themselves," says De Plus.

"I was in the slipstream of a Shimano car and came back in like that," De Plus laughs. "As a team we have surpassed ourselves today. Now it's up to G (Geraint Thomas). I can't do anything for him tomorrow."

De Plus itself is still sitting in 10th place in the ranking. Will he defend it with verve in the mountain time trial? "I don't think about that for a while. I'm going to relax first. Whatever happens, happens."