Despite several attacks throughout the stage, no dangerous breakaway managed to get clear in the Italian stage race, setting the peloton up for a bunch sprint. In the streets of Trento, Vos was brought into position well by her teammates, but a late crash prevented her from contesting the sprint. Vos eventually crossed the line in ninth. The stage was won by Lorena Wiebes.

“Today, our goal was to go for a stage win with Marianne,” Maud Oudeman reflected, having taken on a supporting role. “Right from the start we stayed alert on the climbs. Toward the end, the pace picked up and we worked to protect Marianne. In the middle section, we stayed focused, and in the final hour we made sure to stay near the front to avoid trouble. It felt great to contribute to that.”

With just three kilometers to go, a major crash disrupted the sprint preparations and delayed Vos. “In the final moments we lost each other, and unfortunately got caught up in a crash,” Oudeman said. “The result doesn’t reflect the effort we put in today, but the team spirit is strong and we’ll carry that into the stages still to come.”

Eva van Agt also played an important role in support of Vos today. “The team did a good job keeping Marianne and me near the front. We were in a good position to move up, but then there was a crash at the front of the peloton. Marianne jumped back on her bike incredibly quickly, and I was able to help bring her forward again, which still allowed for a top-ten finish. But it’s a shame we couldn’t fight for the win.”