"We had a very bad day," Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert told Ned Boulting, in spite of cementing his hold on the green jersey.
"The atmosphere was very bad after the crash," he revealed. "But I said to my teammate that if we come for the win I will win the stage easy becuase I was very strong today."
However, the injuries sustained by fellow riders, including two on his Omega Pharma-Lotto team, had marred a personally encouraging day.
"I am very disappointed becuase of the situation of the crashes," he admitted.
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