Unfortunately I had to watch today's stage from my hotel bed. I caught a cold on the rainy stages in Ireland, have a fever and am very sorry that I already have to pack my suitcase without having ridden in Italy. It feels quite odd to have won two stages of the Giro without once having Italian roads under my wheels. I would have liked to have shown myself to the Italian fans and was looking forward to the next sprints. I was so optimistic about more stage wins. Tomorrow I will fly home and then I have to get well again. But I will be back.

Until then.