Team Jumbo-Visma unexpectedly revealed itself at the front in the uphill last kilometre, much to the crowd's excitement in the finish city of Montilla. The team made clear that it was aiming for the podium and the bonification seconds that come with it. Roglic's team's approach failed because they didn't surprise day winner Mads Pedersen, among others.

"This was a classic sprinters' stage, but one with a vicious final", sports director Addy Engels said. "On a flat finish, we would not have come to the front as a team. We wanted to seize the modest opportunity we saw today with both hands. The men put Primoz in a good position. In the end, the truly powerful riders proved to be too strong. Our move was well timed. We wouldn't have had a chance for a good result if we hadn't tried. The team showed its best side today and that's encouraging."

Engels observed that his squad is making progress. "At Thursday's finish, the guys surrounded Primoz excellently as well. That's encouraging on the eve of an important weekend. The classification will likely be determined during the upcoming two days. During the rest day on Monday, we will evaluate our performance and determine if that was the case. It seems that everything is falling into place. The men are approaching their top form and those who have had bad luck have already made a full recovery. That's a welcome boost ahead of an important weekend."