After the result of the chaotic first stage was cancelled, the peloton faced a challenging hilly stage in the Portuguese race. The final climb, roughly seven kilometers long at an average gradient of six percent, was expected to be the decisive moment of the day—and that proved to be the case.

Eventual stage winner Christen attacked at the base of the climb, along with Ben Tulett and others. The group gained around thirty seconds, but as the final kilometers approached, Tulett was forced to drop back. Behind them, Vingegaard took on the role of chaser. The Dane moved to the front of the favorites’ group and quickly ate into the lead of the escapees.

For a moment, it looked like Vingegaard might single-handedly close the gap to Christen, but the Swiss rider had one last acceleration in store. Having expended significant energy, Vingegaard saw a few rivals take advantage and make a late move. In the end, he crossed the line in sixth place, ten seconds behind the stage winner.

“The feeling was good, but I am disappointed with the result”, Vingegaard said after the stage. “The team worked as planned. We had Ben up there in the finale, which was good tactically. Unfortunately, he was dropped and then I tried to chase the front group. I came close, but others benefitted from my work in the end. With stage 4 and 5 we still have everything to play for.”

Sports director Arthur van Dongen added some context. “Tactically, we raced well today. Ben was in the attack on the final climb, but unfortunately, he had to let go. Vingegaard then put in a big effort at the front of the favorites’ group and almost single-handedly closed the thirty-second gap. In the end, the riders in his wheel benefited from his work, which is who cycling works. We’re looking ahead to the coming days—everything is still possible in the fight for the overall victory”, Van Dongen concluded optimistically.