After Tuesday’s prologue, the riders once again faced a race against the clock. Laporte got off to a flying start, setting the fastest intermediate time at the first intermediate point. The Frenchman maintained a strong pace and stopped the clock at 17 minutes and 11 seconds. Only Hayter (16:56) and Söderqvist (16:59) were faster on the flat course in Etten-Leur.

"I can be satisfied with the performance I delivered", Laporte said afterwards. "I went full gas to the finish, so I have no regrets. I’m still in a strong position overall. There are some tough stages ahead, so we’ll see how the race unfolds."

Sports director Arthur van Dongen was also pleased. "We finished third and eighth today. That gives us confidence for the tough days to come. It’s not up to us to control or dictate the race, but we’ll try to strike at the right moments", he said. "Our goal remains to aim for a strong general classification and to try to win a stage. We’ve finished second, third and fourth so far, which shows we’re right up there. Tomorrow, we’ll definitely go for the best possible result again."