With five kilometres to go, Bennett and Higuita powered away from the peloton and Bennett took two bonification seconds at the intermediate sprint. They managed to escape from the pack, but were caught with three kilometres to go. In the end, Bennett finished 25th, in the same time as winner Cortina.

Bennett: “It was a good day for us. We tested the leaders by putting a few guys up the road and forcing them to ride hard all day. The boys set me up well for the final but Education First marked my move and were willing to let the stage win go to stop me gaining time.”

Neilson Powless and Lennard Hofstede also showed themselves by being part of the break of the day.

“For a long time, it seemed like the breakaway would make it to the finish line. But on the final climb, everything came back together”, sports director Grischa Niermann said. “George showed he’s in good shape by attacking there. Tomorrow, we’ll do everything to bring George in a good position at the foot of the climb.”