The stage around Košice had a tough start with three categorised climbs. A group of fourteen riders broke away from the peloton. Vader and Koen Bouwman jumped with them and did their job to create a significant gap. At the top of the final climb, Vader sprinted once more for the mountain points before he and five other riders took off. A short time later, Cavagna rode away and dropped out of sight. Vader also saw Mulu Kinfe Hailemichael get away in the final. In the sprint, the 27-year-old Dutchman just missed out on a podium finish.

"Milan had his sights set on the breakaway", sports director Robert Wagner said. "As a result, he did good things for the mountains classification. As for the mountain jersey, we will see what is possible in the coming stages. In the end, we were tactically in a bit of a tight spot. Milan ended up in a group with Cavagna and his teammate Kasper Asgreen. Unfortunately, Koen was not able to return. Soudal-Quick Step made the most of this advantage. Milan said he learned a lot from that. It is also promising for us to see that Colby Simmons did well in the sprint of the chase group and took the white jersey."

Wagner emphasised the focus on learning with the mixed WorldTour and development squad. "We are here with a mix of experience and talent. The most important thing is to gain experience. Milan has never been in a situation like this. It was the first time he rode in a final like this, which was incredibly valuable. In the end, this stage was so challenging that the differences in the general classification are pretty significant. We will make sure we have a good plan every day."

Pictures: Igor Stancik