Team Jumbo-Visma maintained control in the early stages of the race. Roglic was alert at the first intermediate sprint, taking three bonus seconds to Evenepoel's two. The Belgian made up the difference later in the stage when he took the most bonification seconds.

Just before the summit of the final climb, Evenepoel launched an attack and almost immediately spotted Roglic in his wheel. The pair rode at the front for a while but were later reeled in by the now depleted peloton. Kaden Groves won the bunch sprint.

"The end of the stage was a real show", Roglic said. "Riding against Remco is never boring. We were expecting something, and we were on guard when he attacked. There is one more day to go. Remco has not given up yet, so we must also be alert tomorrow. It will be full steam ahead from the start."

Sports director Merijn Zeeman had seen a tough race all day. "This was a super challenging stage. It took a long time for a lead group to form. This was due to the peloton's high pace. It was a day where a lot of teams missed their chance. We took control, parried Evenepoel's attacks, and successfully defended the leader's jersey. We finished the day as we started it, with a 10-second lead in the general classification. Two of the best riders in the world entertained the crowd today. And tomorrow, we anticipate another intense battle."