Tour de Yorkshire: Alex Blain

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Talking to Frenchman Alex Blain of Madison Genesis who says the 2016 Tour de Yorkshire has helped him launch his 2016 season after illness

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Tour de Yorkshire: Alex Blain

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Having recced the course prior to the race, Alex knew stage 3 was going to brutal but admits that in the race, it wasn’t as hard as it was on the recce. “We did the recce the day after the Tour of Reservoir so we did 150k of the stage with just six riders so for me it was harder than today.”

Alex explained that in Sunday’s stage he did his job in Madison Genesis until they hit the steep climbs at the end, with around 80k to go. “My job was to help Erick (Rowsell) and Tom (Stewart) in the best position, something I have done all the Tour but especially today. After my work was done, I just take a step back and ride easy with a group and just climb easy on lower gears. It was okay.”

“I have never done a stage like this. The climbs were really steep and hard. I am not a rider who can compete at the front on these type of climbs and the guys racing at the front are amazing. I was pushing more than 500 watts just to pass over the climbs with my weight.”

Alex explained also how his experience helped him in the sprints on earlier stages where it did get quite physical between the team trains. “We tried with these young riders to ride together at the front for the sprints and to place GC riders in a good position so they do not lose time if it split. With my experience and knowing many many in the bunch, that helped I think.”

Summing his race up and asked was he tired after three days, he replied “no, no. I’m not really tired. It’s the kind of stage race I needed to get better form because I had a virus not so far long ago. I am getting better day by day and this race is probably the one that will help me launch my season and I am confident now for the Tour Series and what comes next.”

Alex finished by saying he has an eye on a race in the coming months because he knows the Tour Series is important in the UK and especially for the team. “I have won it with Endura, and Madison Genesis did it last year and I want to do win it with Madison.”

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