The stage was coloured by a leading group of six riders who got caught in the final. The wind had split the peloton into echelons, but that did not last long. Dekker was well-positioned right behind stage winner Sam Bennett for the bunch sprint, but was unable to respond to the Irishman’s acceleration.

“It’s a day with mixed feelings”, Dekker said. “I was well-positioned for the sprint, but my legs just weren’t good enough to be able to do better. We were also a bit far in the last kilometres, so it cost a lot of energy to get into the right position. I am happy that I managed to reclaim the green points jersey. That’s a nice bonus. I will do everything I can tomorrow to bring this jersey to the Netherlands in my first race as a professional for Team Jumbo-Visma. That is certainly a goal.”