Dauphiné stage 7 post-stage quotes

The final podium (L to R) (Image credit: AFP)

Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole, 1st)

"It was my goal to win a stage in the Dauphiné. It's been a good training for the Tour de France. Now I will only ride the ProTour team time trial. I'm not going to the Norwegian championship this year because it's held in the North part of the country and there are too many plane connections to use before getting there. I prefer to stay at home and complete my preparation for the Tour de France in peace."

"The race has been so difficult and I stayed in the front all the time, so I didn't get a chance to speak with Floyd Landis. I don't know if I could have done the Dauphiné the same way him and Alexandre Vinokourov did it. In that case I would have chosen one day like Floyd did when he had a superb time trial. They have to stay strong in their head but it's not their first, second or third Tour de France. I presume they rely on their previous experiences. As for myself, I'll keep training before the start on July 1st, but first of all I'll rest a lot."

"Finishing third in the Dauphiné is unbelievable for me. Yes, I realize I am the revelation of the race. I was in good shape but I didn't imagine I could finish on the podium of a really big race like this one in my second year as a pro. Last year, I did the Dauphiné as well but it was another story. I trained a lot before coming here. Because of my good shape I did a good time trial and then my head was good. In the Mont Ventoux I was surprised I could stay in the front with the best climbers. Then the whole T-Mobile team worked well for me.