The 180-kilometre stage to Moulins was a stage for the sprinters. Three breakaways escaped the peloton but were caught well before the finish. In the final, the Dutch team was well in front. After Van Aert got boxed in, Jasper Philipsen took the stage win. "Unfortunately, I was never able to start the sprint", a disappointed Van Aert said.

The 28-year-old Belgian continued: "We knew we had to be in position early with all the corners in the last few kilometres. It worked perfectly until the final kilometre. Riders passed me from behind, and I got boxed in."

Merijn Zeeman also saw this from the team manager's car. "Christophe and Wout concentrated on the sprint today. It was going very well until Wout got boxed in."

However, the sportive director was pleased with the work of his riders. "We were always in the front row with Jonas. We had to be because the peloton got slightly stressed in the last sixty kilometres. The wind picked up, and many teams wanted to move further up the front. When it started to rain, we held our breath for a while, but fortunately, we finished the stage well."

"The team did a great job again today", yellow jersey wearer Vingegaard added. "They kept me safe until the last three kilometres. Then, of course, you must be careful and ensure you don't lose any time. We did that well today. Tomorrow we have another difficult hilly stage on the programme. We will have to start out on top of things."