At Bora-hansgrohe we wanted to drive fully for Peter Sagan that day - 159 kilometers, hilly terrain, wind.
Not a day when I imagined that I could set off with my own freedom.
But that morning on the bus, Peter and the doctors decided that he had to leave the tour because of his knee injury.
I literally drove into a film from the start and felt that I was extremely strong.
I found myself in a breakaway group and thought: I better get offensive before others do.
André Greipel, my friend in our Cologne training group, said to me: “Boy, you are one of the strongest here - believe in yourself, make something of it!” I started playing poker on the last mountain.
I drove over the last wave and was alone twelve kilometers from the finish.
I just kicked, blanked out the pain.
Shortly before the finish in Nîmes, I heard from the team car: “Nils, that's enough, you've got it.
Just watch out for the potholes and the curves. ”When I got to the finish line, a lot of nice thoughts shot through my head.
I will never forget this day.
Recorded by Alex Westhoff.