In the flat opening phase, five riders chose to be in the breakaway. In conditions befitting a spring classic, the attacks in the hilly second part followed one another in quick succession. The wind, rain and cold made the final phase of the race more difficult. Van Aert almost always reacted attentively, with the GC in mind. About fifty kilometres from the line, Mathieu van der Poel chose to attack, only to arrive solo in Castelfidardo after a man-to-man battle.

“The harsh weather conditions only made the race harder. I got really cold, especially in the descents. It was a bit like ‘survival of the fittest’”, Van Aert explained. “I fought for what I was worth in the last lap. The best men were at the front of the race and so they came out on top. I kept my focus on Pogacar, because Van der Poel was already way up in the standings.”

The winner of the opening stage didn’t think he would be competing for the overall win. “Before the start I had the idea that I could possibly take some time today. In the last lap everything fell apart and it was just survival of the fittest. It’s no shame to be beaten by Tadej uphill. I’m not going to make up the difference of 1'15 in a possible sprint tomorrow and a short time trial on Tuesday. The next two days I can still go for stage wins. I still have the motivation for that.”