Updated on 2020-09-14 09:41:05
For his 1st participation in the Grande Boucle, the Italian rider, who celebrated his 26th birthday this Saturday, came to flirt with stage victory by taking a nice 3rd position.
He needed to come to his senses, dripping with sweat and his face scarred with effort.
But the smile was there and for good reason: Simone Consonni finished third after a breathless final in the streets of Lyon.
The Italian, competing in his first Grand Tour, showed keen racing intelligence after a demanding stage and an explosive final.
Behind the winner of the day, Soren Kragh Andersen out in the last kilometers, Simone Consonni offered a place of honor in the sprint alongside the cadors.
Since the start of the Tour de France, his mission has been to give everything to support his teammates.
Exemplary alongside Elia Viviani and Christophe Laporte in the sprints, he was also invaluable in helping team leader Guillaume Martin.
Today, Simone has certainly taken a new step in front of one of the strong men of the northern training.
Simone Consonni
"I'm discovering the Tour de France this year and today the team did a tremendous job at the end of the stage to allow me to stay ahead and play the sprint.
My teammates protected me until the end.
I feel like I'm improving day after day on this Tour de France.
It can only be gratifying for the future! "