After the fourth stage, Team Jumbo-Visma has two riders in the top eight of the overall standings. Mike Teunissen is fifth, Jansen has moved up to seventh place.

After the early breakaway was taken back, the race completely split into pieces on one of the many vicious climbs that the riders had to face on today’s stage. For Team Jumbo-Visma, Teunissen was in the front group with Jansen. Both Jansen and Teunissen tried to attack several times, but could not get away. Teunissen started the sprint for Jansen on Beast Banks, who sprinted to his fifth top five result of the last few weeks.

"It was a very tough stage," Jansen explained. “I really couldn't go any faster on that wall to the finish. We competed for the win, but fifth today was the maximum achievable. Mike and I have tried to attack in turn. Our chances to win the stage were higher in a smaller group, without Van der Poel for example. It is very difficult to get away if you are one of the better placed riders in the peloton. There was also a lot of headwind and that made it more difficult too.”

Sports director Jan Boven concurred with the explanation of Jansen. “We rode to try and win the stage, but this was the maximum possible. It was a very tough course with all the climbs along the way. Amund and Mike both tried to attack. That was the only way for us to create an opportunity to win.”