Debusschere sacrifices himself for Coquard and ends up out of time himself: “The neck was finished” | Tour

With his head bowed and the broom wagon on his rear wheel, Jens Debusschere finished almost 43 minutes after winner Lopez on the Col de la Lose. Out of time and therefore the end of the story for the Belgian of B&B Hotels.

“On the Madeleine I was pretty quiet in the group with Sam Bennett, but Bryan (Coquard) had a hard time and I waited for him”, Debusschere tells the story of his stage. “We can’t do much here without him, because what’s a lead-out (Debusschere’s role) without a sprinter?”

“In the valley I did everything I could to bring him closer. But at the foot of the final climb I had my neck off. Then he left with my approval. It was over.”

“In the end, Bryan made it. He does have pain in his knee, but is getting better every day. He has 2 more chances.”

“It is a pity that I have to leave so close to Paris”, says an emotional Debusschere. “But it is no different. I came to the team to ride for Bryan and then you have to do everything for it.”

–