The third stage over 177 kilometres took the riders from Aesch to Grenchen. Six riders formed the day's breakaway and got a four-minute lead. With eleven kilometres to go, the last remaining rider was caught and a bunch sprint proved inevitable.

Pascal Eenkhoorn helped Theunissen get to the front in the final kilometres, but he could not get involved in the battle for the stage win. "Mike was a bit too far behind at the entry of the last two corners and he didn't manage to make up for it on his own”, sports director Marc Reef said.

"It was too difficult for Timo and Rohan to do anything for Mike in the final. It meant Mike only had Pascal with him. We were well-positioned when necessary, but in the end, the ninth place was the highest we could achieve."

Tomorrow, the riders will be presented with another set of climbs. According to Reef, there is a good chance that the breakaway will last until the end. "We must be prepared for all possible scenarios and hope to be able to battle for the stage win. We also want to make sure that Sepp arrives at the finish without losing any time."