Early in the race, a front group of six men formed. This group got a maximum lead of four and a half minutes. In the stage with some treacherous climbs in the middle, the sprinters’ teams tried to close the gap. Just before the final climb, they succeeded and a complete bunch turned up the final climb. Despite several attempts, no one was able to get away and the team started the descent towards the finish in Torrent. Dekker crashed and eventually reached the finish in an ambulance. The stage victory went to Fabio Jakobsen.

“I’m doing relatively well after what happened. A rider crashed and I noticed it too late to avoid him. I chose to go left instead of crashing into him. As a result, I fell into the bushes a few metres down. It was quite steep, so by the time I got back to the top, everyone had passed. My wheel was broken and I was a bit dizzy. That’s why I got in the ambulance. I am okay now. Physically, I’ve had a big blow. My left buttock is swollen and I have abrasions on my shoulder from the branches. I wouldn’t have been able to race tomorrow anyway”, Dekker said.

A difficult stage with an uphill finish awaits the riders tomorrow. According to sports director Frans Maassen, the objective for the race has to be adjusted. “Tomorrow, our three climbers can do their best again. Our main goal was to sprint with David, so that’s out of the question now. That is a shame. We will now recover and try to show our best side tomorrow.”