The stage was raced hard from start to finish, with a constantly high pace throughout the day. The race truly exploded in the finale, when Marco Brenner of Tudor Pro Cycling Team attacked with 25 kilometers to go. Barré reacted immediately and joined the move.

With 10 kilometers remaining, Barré was brought back, after which the nervous finale saw repeated attacks. A reduced group eventually formed again, with the young French rider from Team Visma | Lease a Bike once more present at the front. Barré held on in the finale and secured a strong sixth place. He currently sits seventh in the general classification after also picking up bonus seconds along the way.

After the stage, Barré reflected on his performance: “In the sprint I was a bit too far back, but I had a really good feeling throughout the stage. It feels good to start my season like this.”

Sport director Robert Wagner was very satisfied with the team’s performance: “I’m very happy with how the guys rode today. We raced offensively on this tough course and I saw a very strong team.” Wagner also praised the younger riders in the squad: “Ashlin rode his longest race ever, while Pietro tried to bring Matthew back to the group after the final climb, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.”

Tomorrow, the peloton returns to Laval for a flat 147-kilometer stage, where all ingredients are in place for another bunch sprint.