With four categorised climbs on the menu, including one of the first category, the stage truly marked the start of the climbing battles. A group of twenty riders broke away early, but with one of them still posing a threat in the GC, the peloton never allowed the gap to grow too far.

On the final climbs of the day, the GC favourites kept a close eye on one another. Ferrand-Prévot stayed safely in a select group of fourteen top contenders and finished the day unscathed.

“It was a good day for me”, the team leader said afterwards. “Everything went smoothly and I was even able to save a bit of energy here and there. That’s thanks to my teammates, who supported me for as long as they could. My legs felt good today, which is encouraging for the stages to come. It was a solid day, and the win went to a deserving rider”, she added, referring to her compatriot Maeva Squiban.

Sports director Jos van Emden was equally pleased with how the day unfolded. “We got through this stage well, without any issues along the way. Pauline didn’t lose any time and once again finished among the best. It’s a good sign that she was able to conserve some energy today”, said Van Emden, looking ahead to the mountain stages still to come.