Argos Shimano's Marcel Kittel admitted his delight at his second stage win in the 100th Tour De France.
"I am thrilled that I won this stage today, but when I crossed the finish line I was also very worried about my teammate Tom Veelers. Luckily he his OK, so now I can really enjoy this victory," said Kittel to his team's press office.
"This was a very good win for the team after amazing and strong teamwork. The guys worked very hard throughout the whole day to keep me in front and out of the wind. When the finale started, we were really well positioned as a team. These finishes are very hectic and chaotic, so it is really impressive work that the guys did. In the end I didn’t have to waste any energy and was able to start my sprint fresh.
"It is just as special as the first one, but mostly because this time none of the other sprinters were involved in a crash and we could really battle against each other. That I was the fastest today gives me a lot of confidence and a very satisfying feeling.
"This tour is successful already, with two stage wins and having the yellow, green and white jerseys. It’s a dream come true, and I’m happy that I can experience this with this team. Now we will concentrate on the other stages and see how they go. We don’t have any pressure anymore."