The two hundred kilometer long stage to Gullingen brought a lot of altimeters. Four riders formed the breakaway of the day and gained a maximum lead of four minutes. The leaders were caught at the foot of the final climb and it was up to the classification leaders to express their ambitions.

Lemmen was among the better climbers and responded to every attack. In the final meters, he tried to have a shot at the stage win, but Axel Laurance and Ethan Hayter proved just too fast for him. "I felt really good on the climb, but still got surprised in the last three hundred meters," Lemmen said. "Nevertheless, I'm happy with the form and third place. I'm still in a good position in the GC."

Wout van Aert had another good day, although he hit the asphalt along the way. Except for an elbow abrasion, he got away with it. "Luckily I didn't hurt myself," said Van Aert, who was still able to play an important role for his teammates in the final. "It went pretty well. I enjoyed the view and the legs felt the way I wanted."