Pierre Rolland (Europcar) was the best Frenchman on Bastille Day when he finished 8th in stage 10 of the Tour de France.

"You never know how you will react after a rest," he told the media at the finish. "There are always surprises which may explain some of the disappointing performances today. Honestly I felt good. The mountains have just started and I'm glad to be up there but my goal remains to win a stage. I'm 14 minutes behind in the overall standings so I'll have some freedom and I will enjoy it."