With 2900 altimeters and seven categorised climbs, the peloton could prepare for a tough day. Five riders went clear and gained a maximum five-minute lead. Hoelgaard and Jimmy Janssens were the strongest of the breakaway and stayed ahead. In a sprint-a-deux, it was Hoelgaard who won.

In the peloton, Hagenes climbed with the best and was part of a small group chasing the leaders. After it became clear that they could not be caught, the sprint for the final podium spot was on. Hagenes eventually had to settle for eighth place.

"I was surprised that the breakaway riders got such a big lead and were allowed to battle for victory. No team took responsibility", Hagenes said. "I had a very good day. Beforehand, I wasn't sure if I would be able to go up with the best, but fortunately the pace on the climbs wasn't too fast. That worked out well for me."

Hagenes is happy he got the team's trust. "I wanted to try to follow as long as possible and see what would happen. That went okay. As a team, we did very well. Even though there are only four of us left, we had everything under control. It wasn't up to us to close the gap with the leading group."