Steven Kruijswijk has been able to test his form in the final stage of the Tour de l'Ain on the Col du Grand Colombier. The rider of Team LottoNL-Jumbo topped the hors category mountain in third position. In the descent towards the finish in Culoz, no risks were taken, which led Kruijswijk to the eleventh place. In the general classification he finished fifth. Thibaut Pinot became the overall winner.

Despite the fact that no podium in the overall ranking was achieved, sports director Frans Maassen was happy with the achieved goals: "We wanted to win a stage and we did so with Juan José Lobato. In addition, the men had to test themselves uphill and they have been able to do so over the past two days. They were slightly consumed by their thoughts about the Vuelta already. This has to be achieved completely in the next few days, while recharging their battery. We are going to Spain with a good feeling, "says Maassen.
 
For Kruijswijk, especially the last two days of racing were a good way to test his legs. In his own words: this was exactly what he needed to be able to completely focus on the oncoming Vuelta. "And it worked. I'm glad I could race here and feel good heading to the Vuelta. It’s going to be a hard race in Spain because the entry is strong. But I'm very confident", Kruijswijk said.