The peloton was shocked by a crash early in the stage. Several riders, including Vader, hit the asphalt and did not come out unscathed. The Dutchman suffered a lot of pain in his knee and decided not to continue. "Milan had a deep wound under his left knee. It was immediately clear that he could not continue", sports director Frans Maassen said.

"Our own doctor stitched him up in the hotel. That went well and fortunately he is already walking around here again." According to Maassen, Vader got off with a fright. "Sportive-wise it's a big bummer, because Milan was our leading man. On the other hand, we realise it could have been much worse."

Vader, meanwhile, is feeling ‘okay’ again. "I looked at my knee and knew right away that I didn't need to try any further. I'm glad no one was more seriously injured because it didn't look good at first."

According to the Dutchman, the crash occurred on a descent. "Someone next to me hit a wheel in front of him and came up against me. I couldn't avoid him anymore, so we were among the first to crash."

Vader is disappointed not to be able to succeed himself. "I was really looking forward to it. The exciting days were yet to come. It is a shame that I had to abandon the race early."

The third stage eventually ended in a bunch sprint. It was won by Ethan Vernon. Team Visma | Lease a Bike played no significant role in the sprint.