The day after Wout van Aert’s magnificent victory in the stage over the Mont Ventoux, a stage was scheduled in which the wind could make for an attractive race. After a fast and hectic start, the stage progressed in a calm manner for the peloton, which finished the stage fifteen minutes after stage winner Nils Politt. The number three of the general classification, Jonas Vingegaard, was safely guided over the line by his teammates.

Belgian champion Van Aert was happy with the quiet day. “I could use a day like today after yesterday’s stage. I’m happy with this scenario. There was a lot of stress in the beginning. When the big group was gone, it calmed down a bit. If the stage had been controlled, I would have wanted to sprint. There will be some other chances. I got a lot of congratulations in the peloton and felt like a popular guy. There were also many Belgians along the route, especially in the beginning. That was a bit of a reminisce from yesterday.”

Sports director Grischa Niermann was also at peace with the way the stage developed. “We won yesterday and that was a very hard effort. A group that was not dangerous for the general classification rode away and no sprinter team was going to close the gap. We only have five riders left in the race and we are not going to control it. Wout and Mike did a great job by keeping Jonas in front, so he stayed out of trouble. Even though the wind ceased at the end, the race remained nervous. We were always in good position and I’m glad the guys finished the stage in a good way.”