Jan Christen plays down viral phone moment: 'I was just checking the way to the hotel'

“It’s not the best so far,” Christen told MARCA, “but what I’m looking at is that my legs feel very good and that there’s nothing serious after the fall. So in that sense, it’s fine.”

Christen is currently 33 seconds down, and he made clear he is not framing the final and decisive stage on Saturday as a solo rescue mission. Instead he pointed to teammates Igor Arrieta and Kevin Vermaerke, both still well placed on GC (6th and 12th). 

“For sure it’s going to be very difficult, but Igor and Kevin are still in the general classification and have good legs, as we saw yesterday,” he said. “So we have to play our cards in the final stage tomorrow and also try not to lose anything today.”

The final stage of the AlUla Tour is the yearly finish atop the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid, with the climb featuring some gruelling gradients, with a flat run in to the finish, which should only suit Christen even further as he looks to make amends after his lapse in judgement on stage 3, where his late attack was reeled in.

Off the bike, Christen has also found himself in the spotlight for a moment that went viral online, showing him crossing the finish line with a phone in his hand. He brushed it off as a simple misunderstanding, explaining he had already ridden the finale earlier and was sorting logistics afterwards. 

“I had already passed the final stage before, so I went to the car, took the recovery shake, prepared the equipment, and we came back with the bike,” Christen said. “I didn’t know the way to the hotel one hundred percent, so I had to check it.”

Looking further ahead, Christen said his priority is to build through the first part of the season before turning his attention to the Giro d’Italia, where he expects to support João Almeida while keeping an eye on opportunities of his own. “First I want to concentrate on the first part of the season and then build for the Giro, be in good condition to help Almeida win it and, maybe, get one or two good results,” he said.

He's also hungry for a breakthrough win this year. "Yes. For sure one goal is to win the first big race. Maybe a stage in the Giro or a World Tour race, but we'll see."