"It's always frustrating when you can't reward the team's hard work”, said Van Aert. Team Jumbo-Visma kept an eye on the three escapees throughout the day and, thanks in part to a strong lead from Nathan Van Hooydonck, caught them just after the final climb. Christophe Laporte then appeared to put Van Aert in an excellent position for a sprint. However, the Belgian time trial champion had to hold back for a moment and lost the momentum.

Van Aert was honest about the moment. "I waited a little too long. Mathieu van der Poel and Philipsen passed me when Christophe dropped, and I had to brake. Christophe probably expected me to pass him on the right while I was on his left. After that, I came up just a bit short, unfortunately. I had the legs to win.”

"I am happy to have crossed the finish line safely, although we would have liked to have seen Wout win”, Vingegaard said. He now shifts his focus to Sunday's stage. "In June, I did a reconnaissance on the Puy de Dôme. It's a steep climb, and it will be a crucial moment in this Tour. I hope I feel good. We will prepare to perfection.”