After four tough days through Spain and France, the fast men saw their opportunity today. The sprint teams controlled the race throughout the stage, after which the riders sprinted for victory in the well-known finish town of Pau. After a hectic finale, Olav Kooij was the fastest rider from the peloton.

Vingegaard was well protected by his teammates throughout the day during another very warm stage. Due to several crashes in the closing stages, the Dane crossed the finish line a few seconds behind, but ultimately did not lose any time to his biggest opponents for the overall victory.

"Jonas had to change bikes in the finale, after which he reached the finish on Victor's bike," team director Marc Reef reflects on the hectic finale. "Fortunately, the team suffered little damage in the end and Jonas finished in the same time as his opponents."

Reef is now looking ahead to tomorrow, when the first real mountain stage awaits. "We are heading into tomorrow's stage with a good feeling. Jonas is in a good position in the general classification and feels strong. We are heading into tomorrow's stage with confidence."