Slock reflects on bold Tour near-miss: 'When you get so close, of course you want to win'

Liam Slock (Lotto-Intermarché) admitted disappointment was his overwhelming emotion after coming within touching distance of a remarkable solo victory on stage 8 of the Tour de France, though he expects to feel great pride as he later reflects on his performance.

The Lotto-Intermarché rider was the last survivor of the day's three-man breakaway and looked capable of pulling off a stunning upset after attacking alone with 40km remaining.

Slock still held a lead of a minute with 10km to go, but the sprinters' teams gradually reeled him in before he was caught just over a kilometre from the finish, where Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) powered to his second stage win in as many days with a late surge. Slock finished the stage in 114th place. 

After his epic performance, Slock was surrounded by media at the finish, and the 25-year-old’s initial feeling was one of disappointment rather than satisfaction.

"Right now, I'm disappointed," he said. "That's the feeling I have at the moment. When you get so close, of course you want to win. There was still a long way to go, but it felt quite close."

Slock was asked when he felt like his chances of victory were slipping away.

"On the long road, with about six kilometres to go, I felt they were closing the gap quickly," Slock explained. "It was slightly uphill, and I knew the pace in the peloton would be really high there.

"That's when I felt they were coming back. I was losing time, and the power in my legs was starting to fade."

Asked whether he could already appreciate what he had achieved, Slock admitted the emotions were still too raw.

"At the moment, not really proud," he said. "But I think that feeling will come tonight."

Ahead of the Tour, Slock claimed his first professional victory back in June at the GP Gippingen in Switzerland, a result that went viral after the Belgian crashed over the finish line while celebrating. 

While he didn’t add a second victory on Saturday’s stage, the Belgian will have earned the combativity prize and a great deal of admiration and, alongside his teammate Baptiste Veistroffer, meant that Lotto-Intermarché have certainly played their part in the three sprint stages so far at this Tour.