The eleventh stage of the Tour de France resulted in an impressive battle in the heart of the Alps, over the Col du Télégraphe, the Col du Galibier and a finish on top of the Col du Granon at the end of 151 extremely intense kilometers.
The GC favorites attacked before the top of the Télégraphe, which preceded the Galibier. Despite a difficult moment, Louis Meintjes never gave up and followed closely behind the yellow jersey group before the top of the Galibier, the highest point of this 109th edition.
The favorites accelerated once more before diving towards the Col du Granon, where the stage finished in a man to man fight. Louis Meintjes finished 21st, climbing again in the general classification. He is now sixteenth after this eleventh stage.
« There was a brutal acceleration on the Col du Télégraphe, just at a difficult moment for me. I continued to fight and I felt better towards the end of the stage. I covered a long part of the race in duo or alone and it was only at the finish that I learned what happened in front of me. Despite this difficult day for me, I managed to climb some positions in the classification. The performance of the first riders on the final climb was impressive. Important gaps were made and this has a consequence for the remainder of this Tour. My disadvantage can open doors, I can benefit of more freedom to attack. I'm also aware that several other teams and competitors will have the same intentions. So it will be important to use our energy with intelligence. »
