“I think we can be very proud of how we rode as a team today,” Uijtdebroeks said after the stage. “From start to finish, we were always in control, took charge of the race, and laid our cards on the table in the finale. After the guys did a fantastic job preparing the way, it was up to me to try to finish it off and crack Lecerf.”

The plan seemed to succeed, as Uijtdebroeks broke away from his opponents and gained a lead of about twenty seconds. “I didn’t look back once; I wanted to ride as hard as possible to the finish", the Belgian continues his story. "At the end, my legs got heavy, and suddenly they came very fast from behind. That’s unfortunate, but I don’t think we can blame ourselves. This was the maximum we could get out of today."

Despite missing out on the win, Uijtdebroeks retains a positive feeling about the Czech stage race. "We should be very proud of each other. We shaped the race and rode offensively in the mountain stages. Unfortunately, the course was just not tough enough for me."

Sports director Sierk Jan de Haan looks back on a successful four days. “The guys executed everything we had agreed on perfectly. It seemed like we would put the finishing touch on our work today, but unfortunately, Cian’s legs gave out and he couldn’t quite finish it off. Nevertheless, the good feeling prevails.”

According to De Haan, the riders of the Development Team have shown they can compete well at this level. “I’m sure the guys have learned a lot here. They are not only coached from the team car but also guided by the experienced men on the road. You can see their confidence starting to grow. They will take all these learning moments into the future.”