“This is super disappointing, given my great position at the final.”

It was clear from the start: today would be a mass sprint. No crosswinds, no climbs, just ‘French flat’ to Poitiers.

Apart from a one-man-breakaway, there was not too much to report until the final three kilometers. Our designated sprinter Andre Greipel told via the race radio Hugo Hofstetter should go for his own chances, and so the French sprinter did.

“I kept my position very well I think”, Hofstetter said. “I was perfectly in the wheel of the green jersey, but then Sagan pushed me straight into the barriers. The only thing I could do is brake as hard as I could.”

Moments after the finish Peter Sagan was relegated for his actions in the sprint.

“This is super disappointing. I did not have to do any effort in the last kilometer and I was just waiting to launch my sprint. There was certainly much more possible than finishing eighth today.”