The five-day race in Luxembourg got underway with a 158-kilometer stage starting and finishing in the capital. After a relatively flat opening, the riders faced several short climbs. At the foot of the Côte de Stafelter, the final climb of the day, the last remaining breakaway rider was caught, before Mathieu van der Poel launched his attack.

The Dutchman put the pressure on and only Eike Behrens was able to follow. Thanks in part to the efforts of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the duo was brought back, leaving a reduced peloton to battle it out on the final uphill kilometer. Hagenes fought his way to fourth place behind Van der Poel, while Piganzoli crossed the line in tenth.

"I’m happy with my performance. This was the best I could do today", Hagenes said afterward. "A finish like this suits me really well. My teammates had full confidence in me and made sure I was in a good position heading into the final meters. I gave it everything I had, but I just wasn’t strong enough to win."

Sports director Sierk Jan de Haan looked back on a successful opening day. "We really wanted to go for the sprint with Per, and thanks in part to the strong teamwork, we were able to do that. Per was also very strong in the finale and finished fourth against a strong field. That gives both him and the team a huge confidence boost heading into the next few days."

Tomorrow is likely to end in a bunch sprint, while the following stages will feature more climbing. "We’re aiming for a stage win. We’ve marked stages three and five because we’re very strong across the board as a team. In the time trial, we’ll go all-out and see where we stand in the overall standings. Davide is our leader, but Per should also be able to finish high."