After an unfortunate opening day in the five-day World Tour race, Team Visma | Lease a Bike picked up the pace in the time trial. Leader Olav Kooij, who fell in the first stage, did not get on his bike Thursday afternoon. The 22-year-old rider did not recover sufficiently from his injuries sustained in the crash.

In Tessenderlo, Belgium, the other six riders of the Dutch cycling formation were presented with a time trial of over fifteen kilometrers. Laporte was the fastest Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider. The Frenchman finished seventh in the day's results. Per Strand Hagenes and Mick van Dijke also rode a rock-solid time trial, finishing twelfth and fourteenth respectively. 

“I am satisfied with this one”, says Laporte afterwards. “The time trial is not my strongest discipline of the last years. I gave it my all today and can be happy with the seventh place. I am also still in a good position in the general classification. Everything will be decided on Sunday." Laporte is currently sixth in the general classification, 24 seconds behind leader Segaert.

Van Dijke: “I rode a strong time trial for myself. The course went up and down. That suited me very well. The level is high here in Belgium. I can be satisfied with my values.” Tiesj Benoot thinks the same way. “Even though time trial is not my specialty, my power was good today. That's going to be important in the coming days and certainly towards Sunday”, the Belgian looks ahead to the final stage with finish on the Muur van Geraardsbergen.