Czech Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas) following the Tour de Suisse. (Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Czech Roman Kreuziger is confident in achieving a top 10 finish at the Tour de France despite being over two minutes behind the race favourites. Kreuziger is 2:40 back in 14th place following Stage 12.
"A lot of riders ahead of me will drop out,” Kreuziger told Cyclingnews. “We are nearing the third week and a lot of riders will start to feel tired. I want to go strongest in the second and third week, just how I was hoping before the Tour."
Kreuziger, 23, stared his second Tour impressively with a seventh place in the Monaco time trial. He lost ground, one minute and one second, on the first mountaintop finish to Arcalís.
"I think I can be happy with where I am at this point,” he said. “I did not go very well the day to Arcalís, but from that day on I was going well. I had three days of stomach ache in there, but it's better now."
Kreuziger has not previewed Friday's stage to Colmar. He believes the classification favourites will stay in one group for the finish, 20.5 kilometres after the Firstplan climb.
"Sunday and the days after the rest day will be deceive," he said.
Sunday's stage ends with the 8.8-kilometre climb to Verbier. The riders face two back-to-back mountain stages Tuesday and Wednesday, the stage to Bourg-St-Maurice and Le Grand-Bornand.
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