Hessmann and Kuss were part of a large breakaway group of around 30 riders. It split up at the halfway point of the race. A foursome got away, and in the end, a trio sprinted to victory in Rivoli. The peloton seemed to have its sights set on tomorrow's stage as it rode to the finish at a moderate pace.

However, the breakaway duo from Team Jumbo-Visma continued to push hard in the group between the peloton and the lead group. These efforts resulted in Team Jumbo-Visma taking the lead in the team classification. Hessmann sprinted to ninth place in the day's classification. It was the 22-year-old German's first individual top-ten finish in a World Tour race.

"The idea behind it was that if something happened in the peloton, we would be two riders up front. If necessary, we could drop back to Primoz. The descent of the last climb was treacherous, so we took the safe route. This is my first grand tour, and everything is going better than expected. Partly because of the conditions, the last 12 days have been tough. But I feel good, and I am recovering well every day. That way, I can enjoy it a bit", Hessmann said.

Sports director Marc Reef: "We knew it would be a day for escapees. Sepp and Michel were allowed to go their own way, but they were also pawns in case something happened to Primoz. Fortunately, everyone made it to the finish in one piece. A tough mountain stage is on the agenda for tomorrow. Primoz is fine. He showed that again today with the way he rode in the peloton. Yesterday's crash did not cause him any problems. He is ready for tomorrow's stage."