Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Peter Velits had an impressive performance in the 53.5km Tour de France Stage 19 Time Trial, finishing 4th behind two of the top GC riders, and Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank).
Peter Velits finished at 1:06:15, 2'02" back from yellow jersey wearer Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky ProCycling). He was 5th in both the 14km, and 30.5km checkpoints.
"I went to the race not knowing how I would feel," Velits said. "I didn't expect so much because of bronchitis, you know. Before the rest day I already felt sick, but OK, we had it under control. But it started really bad on the Pyrenees, and then I went on antibiotics. In the climbs I did not feel so good. The TT was the last objective, I really wanted to do well in this race. I started really focused and when I saw I was going good, and I caught Levi, then I caught Vinokourov so I thought 'OK, maybe it's not so bad.' So I went full gas until the end. The feeling was good. Not so bad for a sick guy. "
Velits took a moment to consider his entire grand tour performance for the team.
"I expected more from myself, to be honest, in the GC," Velits said. "Even if in the TT I was good. But I really had problems in the climbs and I was just not good, especially with the steep ones. I really need to think with the team staff about what went wrong on the climbs and find out the right adjustments. I know that i can do better then this."
Grabsch finished the TT in 18th position (+3'43").
"I did my best but in the last days I had to fight with bronchitis," Grabsch said. "In the first part of the race I couldn't find the right rhythm, it was impossible to breathe deeply. Kilometer after kilometer I felt better and I think, considering all of this, that I did a good time trial. Now I will recover a bit and then I will focus on the Olympic time trial."
Dries Devenyns also had a great performance today, showing again his good condition in the 2012 Tour de France, where he was one of the most active riders in the breakaway. Dries finished 22nd, 3'57" back.