In the stage from peninsula to peninsula the peloton raced full throttle from the start. It was very nervous and there were many crashes, involving Robert Gesink among others. The Dutchman could continue and finished the stage. Team Jumbo-Visma took the initiative at crucial moments with Wout van Aert guiding the yellow jersey.

“The team has once again done a perfect job”, Primoz Roglic said. “We can be proud of our performance so far and of the way we raced. I cannot thank my teammates enough for getting me through this stage in one piece. I am wearing the yellow jersey, but it really belongs to the whole team. It was a tough stage: very nervous, fast and at times dangerous too. We had hoped for an easier day, but the race was full on from the start and it never stopped. We are already looking forward to the upcoming days. I will wear the yellow jersey with pride.”

Wout van Aert concurred with his leader’s story. “It was certainly a stressful day. It took a lot of energy. The most important thing was to get Primoz to the finish unscathed and we managed to do so. It is a pity that the wind was not perfect for crosswinds. We raced in the front all day and we were where we needed to be. It was a matter of continuously paying attention. The team managed that pretty well again. Everyone gave themselves one hundred percent. It is nice to see that we all go through the fire for each other.”