By Jaorrod Patridge For Cycling Tribe

Q. Andy, congratulations on such a strong Tour de France! The Tour is made up of so many different parts, and stages within stages. With all the media requirements, team meetings, steep climbs and long flat stages, what is your favourite part of the Tour experience?

A. I will surprise you:-). Getting out of the shower, put the music on and just chill out.

Q. You & Frank are perfect teammates, and after following your efforts & achievements together in previous Tours it didn’t seem right not seeing him by your side. How did it feel for you to ride to Paris without him?

A. Of course I missed Fränk a lot. 



Everywhere! Not only in the race, but also discussing in our room after the race. It’s not the same to have him only on the phone. I was happy to see him coming to Paris.

Q. You were in yellow, your legs were good and you attacked strong, then your chain came off. How did this feel? How did you stay so calm?

A. My first reaction was to stay professional. It was not easy, you can imagine, I was very angry. My second reaction was, after putting the chain on, to reduce the distance between Alberto, Menchov, Sanchez and myself. But , Of course I felt shit

Q. Your battle with Alberto to the summit of the Col du Tourmalet was one of the all time epic Tour de France stages. Can you explain the effort and concentration required to make so many sustained attacks?

A. You have to understand. This is the Tour de France. As one of the main contender you have to be concentrated every moment. It was my goal to win and the Tourmalet-stage was looked at a long time ago, before the Tour, the plan and the way to win the race. If you have that plan in the mind, it was also normal to me to try so much attacks. And I think I did what I had to do.

Q. We saw you go deep into the red zone in the Individual Time Trial, are you able to describe the suffering you went through to try and claw back time on Alberto?

A. At the end of the Tour, with my situation as second overall, I believed really, that I was a specialist. My father, Johnny told me. At the end of a time trial stage you must have the feeling that you’ve given everything, as you say, go deep in the red zone. I’ve done this and since I went training in the morning I’ve had my focus and all my concentration on that stage.

Q. Everything from the roads, climate, even the air are different from country to country. Do you have a favourite place to race and train?

A. To train it’s no doubt, it’s my home country Luxembourg. To race it’s California.

Q. What was your first bike, and do you still have it?

A. I must have been six years old and I can remember that the bike was too big for me. I have it no more.

Q. Will we see you in Geelong at the World Championships, and is this a target race for you or Frank?

A. I will not go to the Worlds, because I try to focus on the last Italian races and specially Tour of Lombardie. I think therefore it’s better to stay in Europe. But Fränk will be there and takes his chance.

Q. The advert you made for Specialized with Alberto Contador seemed like a lot of fun! Did you make the add together or was it filmed separately?

A. It was separately

And finally...

Q. Can you really eat 21 gels and a deep fried turkey without throwing up??

A. No problem for 21 gels, no problem for a turkey after that, but I never tried a deep fried one:-)