“Nothing went right for me,” the Saxo Bank rider told the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. “I well and truly had an off-day, and I certainly cannot be satisfied with my performance."
It was one of the worst days of his career. “It is said that a rider may suddenly experience such day, but I have not experienced it before,” he added. “At least not as bad as it was today.”
Realising he wasn't going to accomplish anything, the 25-year-old decided to abandon with 30 km to go, and save something for Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege. “I must look ahead. It cannot be worse, so I still believe I can do a good run on Sunday,” he said.
The second-year Danish pro didn't come in for any criticism from his teammates or team management. “Everyone knew that I didn't want it to happen. It is not something you have any control over.” Even team boss Bjarne Riis and directeur sportif Kim Andersen were understanding. “They've been professionals, so they understand that it can go wrong occasionally.”
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