A small leading group was caught well before the finish. The stage ended in a bunch sprint that was won by Arnaud Démare.

“We arrived safely today”, Kruijswijk said. “We had to pay attention in the final. It was raining in the descent and the road started to get a bit wet. As a result, we were not really comfortable, but we got through it well. The boys kept me in front. That was also necessary with the narrow roads and the bad road surface.”

The leader of Team Jumbo-Visma is happy with his current shape and hopes to improve a bit in the course of the Giro. “I now have the level that I had hoped and expect to attain. I am confident that my shape will improve. This year I have had few racing days, so I have not yet reached my top level. If everything goes as it should go, I expect to be able to maintain or even improve this level.”