Before the start, the big question was whether the stage would favour the breakaway or turn into a showdown between the GC contenders. In the end, it was the latter. Wout van Aert tested the waters several times in the opening phase, while Bart Lemmen, Steven Kruijswijk and Wilco Kelderman managed to sneak into a breakaway. Not long after, the favourites put their cards on the table.

That all happened on the Alpe San Pellegrino—a 13.8-kilometre climb averaging 8.8 percent. It was steep enough to provoke some serious action. Yates looked to be in trouble for a moment, but thanks to the support of his three teammates who had dropped back, he held firm and stayed with the group of the pink jersey.

Later in the stage, Yates was alert once more when the pace picked up again. By then, Richard Carapaz had launched a successful attack and went on to win the stage. Yates crossed the line ten seconds behind the Ecuadorian, finishing in the reduced group of favourites.

“It was a good day for us”, said sports director Marc Reef. “Bart, Steven, and Wilco were in the break, which gave us flexibility. One of the scenarios we had anticipated was action on the San Pellegrino, and that’s exactly what happened. In the end, we had four riders among the best thirty. On the final climb, Simon responded well to the attacks and finished with the rest of his rivals. All in all, we came through the stage in good shape.”