“This is incredible,” Uijtdebroeks said after the finish. “The past few months have been tough, so it feels amazing to come back like this. I was already feeling good in San Sebastián, but this is truly fantastic. It was a dream of mine to win a race this year. That was my goal: to learn how to win. To actually do it now is just amazing.”

“The team was incredibly strong again today,” he continued. “On the penultimate climb, we pushed the pace hard, which left us with a small group going into the Colombier. Ben did a great job after that, setting things up so I could launch my attack and finish it off.”

Team Visma | Lease a Bike showed their strength as a unit in the final stage. On the penultimate climb, they set a relentless pace, reducing the lead group to just seven riders, including Uijtdebroeks, Tulett, and Jørgen Nordhagen.

On the final ascent of the Col du Grand Colombier, it was Tulett who launched the first attack. Uijtdebroeks and Prodhomme responded, but not long after, the young Belgian unleashed a powerful acceleration. He dropped his French rival, gradually extended his lead, and soloed to his first professional win, sealing the overall classification in the process.

A performance that earned high praise from sports director Robert Wagner: “I’m incredibly proud of the team. We may not have done everything perfectly, but we gave it our all for three straight days. In the end, Cian finished it off in spectacular fashion, and he truly deserves it after the difficult months he’s had. I’m very pleased.”