Warren Barguil and John Degenkolb have had a successful first part of the Tour de France. On the rest day, they outlined their goals for the rest of the race.

"I am satisfied with my first week in the Tour de France, as I have learned a lot already and am getting wiser by the day. I am also satisfied with my 14th position in the GC, which is positive," Barguil said.

“Racing in echelons and on cobblestones was new for me and went well. It’s a special experience for me riding the Tour in my own country and my own region, Brittany. The crowds are impressive and the support is really great.

“The GC is not a goal for me. Primarily I am here to learn and gain experience, as it is all new for me. After Paris we will make an assessment, and everything we achieve until then is extra, without pressure. When a GC position is not within reach anymore, I will go for a stage win together with my teammates, which is the main goal for the team. 

“I am enjoying my time here and I am looking forward to starting the climbing stages.”

“It was a nice first rest day. We had a one-hour ride and we filled the day with interviews, a massage, lunch, dinner and trying to get as much rest as possible," Degenkolb said.

“We have tried already a few times to go for victory, which didn’t happen, unfortunately. The team is in good spirits, though, which is a good thing, and we are looking forward to the climbing stages – some guys more than others, but I think we have really good opportunities there. 

“Personally I hope that after the Pyrenees there will be a chance for me to get my first Tour de France stage victory.

“There is still a possibility for the green jersey as well. I have a lot of points but the other guys have 50 points more than me. We will see. I am not letting it go yet! With a bit of luck everything is still possible.”

"So far we have seen cycling at its most beautiful. It was an incredible Grand Départ in Utrecht, with massive crowds for the prologue and the second stage to Neeltje Jans. It was a cycling festival," sports director Iwan Spekenbrink said.

"For the team it is the best Tour de France we have had so far. How we operate as a team and the way we are active in the finales of all the stages is impressive. We have had different chances for stage success and we have been competitive in the time trial, in the cobblestone stage, in sprints and even in difficult finishes like, for example, the Mûr de Bretagne.

"For the upcoming stages, I expect that the GC teams will take over and the stages will develop differently from what we have seen so far. There will be space for the escapees, and we have to benefit from that too. With John Degenkolb we will get one or two more chances in the sprints, and we have a young rider in Warren Barguil who is developing well. He has been very strong so far. We have set our real target over three years, so a good GC result now will be difficult, and he will have the opportunity to keep learning and growing this year and maybe go on the attack as well.”