Soon after the start, five riders escaped. Because of the strong tail and side wind, they were swallowed by the peloton at about 25 kilometres from the finish line. At that moment the stage turned into a hectic affair. Team Jumbo-Visma was always attentive at he front and showed initiative by pulling the peloton into small echolons. Caleb Ewan eventually sprinted to his second victory in Murray Bridge.

“All in all, we came through the stage well. At 50 kilometres from the finish, the stage turned into a stressful ride”, sports director Addy Engels said. “We set things in motion when we had about twenty kilometres to go. Unfortunately, George got a puncture. We didn’t panic, but it happened at a very bad moment. Fortunately, the wind was turning a bit, which caused the peloton to calm down. The guys brought George back very well.”