A day after De Vries claimed her first professional victory, the peloton lined up for a 105-kilometre stage in and around Locarno. Two riders formed the breakaway and established a maximum two-minute advantage. Their escape came to an end at the foot of the Fanghia, the first climb of the day.

The pace increased in the peloton, leaving a select group at the front. Van Dam and De Vries both made a strong impression and were among the strongest riders in the race. During the descent, De Vries was unable to follow the pace and lost valuable time. Van Dam remained in the front group but had no answer when Longo Borghini launched her attack.

The Italian rider soloed to the finish line and took over the leader's jersey of De Vries. Van Dam secured an impressive second place and moved up to third in the general classification. "I think I can look back on a really good day", Van Dam said. "Femke rode incredibly strong yesterday, so I wanted to support her as much as possible today. The goal was to stay together at the front for as long as possible and use our advantage as a duo."

"Together with a few other riders, we reached the top of the first climb, which was the ideal scenario. Unfortunately, Femke had to let go on the descent and I got the call to continue riding. In the finale, Marlen and Kasia took the wrong turn, and I noticed just in time on my Garmin that a corner was coming up. I feel sorry for them, but of course I still tried to ride as hard as possible to the finish."

De Vries crossed the finish line in 22nd place and lost her leader’s jersey to Longo Borghini. "I definitely enjoyed this day, but in the end I was empty", De Vries said. "I think I blew myself up on the first climb when I tried to follow Kasia. After yesterday, I thought I could keep the jersey, but I wasn’t strong enough. Of course I’m disappointed, but luckily Sarah took her chance and finished second."

Van Dam has taken the lead in the youth classification thanks to her strong performance. Tomorrow a relatively flat stage awaits. "We’re taking it day by day. We’ll ride as hard as we can and try to keep hold of the jersey."