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Trailing in more than 17 minutes behind the day’s winner Jan Bakelants (RadioShack Leopard) should have spelled the end for 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Thomas De Gendt and his ambitions for the general classification at the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Tour de France but the Belgian who finished third overall in the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:2012 Giro d’Italia has not given up hope. D𒈔e Gendt felt unwell prior to the start of the second stage and cited stomach pr꧙oblems at the finish as the main reason for his time lost on the road to Ajaccio.

"They just went too fast for me on the climbs," he told . "I felt this morning that♛ I was not 100%. I have some problems with my stomach."

The second of the two categorised ascents, the Col de la Serra, proved too much for De Gendt who was already struggling to remain in contact w🦩ith the main group.

"At first I was already struggling on the climbs and on the second they j༺ust went too hard. I blew myself completely. Maybe it was because of the heat. It is difficult when you have to drink lots and you have problems with your stomach."

It was at the Giro last year that De Gendt attacked on the penultimate Giro stage that finished atop the monstrous Stelvio and moved himself into podium contention, moving up the GC table from eighth to fourth with just Michele Scarponi and the final TT in his way. With some similar tactics employed at t🃏he Tour, he will undoubtedly hope to push himself back up the standings.

The 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vacansoleil-DCM rider planned on achieving a top-20 position prior to the Tour’s start, along with the intention to 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:go for the win at Alpe d’Huez and he can still reach that goal now that he has ﷽a little more freedom from immediately t𒈔hreatening the overall.

"I'm not disജappointed. I did not expect to reach the top-five, the top-20 is still possible as t♕here are many mountain stages. The stress now falls away, that's important. I will now get more space to go into an escape."