Pasques described the stage ending at Alpe d'Huez as fantastic for the team and especially the performance of Guillaume Martin. He was happy to make the final climb within the time limit and was encouraged all the way by a huge number of Italian fans on the mountain.

The three Alps stages were concluded on Thursday with a summit finish on the mythical Alpe d'Huez. Marco Minnaard joined a break of around twenty riders in the beginning of the stage on Col de la Madeleine. Minnaard chose to ride his own pace on Lacets de Montvernier. Everything was decided on Alpe d'Huez, where Guillaume Martin took 18th place. In the general classification, the 25-year-old Frenchman moves up to 17th. On Friday the 13th stage is between Bourg d'Oisans and Valence.

Guillaume Martin:

"We all arrived quite tired at the foot of the Alpe, maybe except for Team Sky and some top favorites. At the foot it was important to stay on as long as possible and to reach the top as fast as possible. I rode the climb in the company of Pierre Latour. We know each other well and were both in trouble. Despite our rivalry for the white jersey, we worked well together. A month ago I explored the Alpe in the company of Pierre, so it's funny to see each other here again. But I do not know when we rode the fastest pace, now or one month ago! "

"The last two days I was in the break, so today I chose not to do that. I tried to follow the favorites, which was not easy. I am glad that these three mountain stages are behind us. Now it is important to recover well. The feeling was better than the past few days. That is positive and at the same time frustrating, because with these legs I might have been able to do something in the break. But it is nice to feel that the good legs are still there. " 

A.S.O. Stage Summary:

Geraint Thomas became the first British winner at Alpe d’Huez on the occasion of the 30th finish in the ski resort of the Oisans. He’s also the first rider to win a road stage to Alpe d’Huez with the yellow jersey. He outsprinted Tom Dumoulin, Romain Bardet, Chris Froome and Mikel Landa to extend his lead in the overall ranking.

Check back tomorrow for more from inside the peloton at the 2018 Tour de France.