In start town Chambéry, Leading Race Coach Marc Reef and Victor Campenaerts had already announced that, following the departure of leader Jonas Vingegaard, Team Visma | Lease a Bike would race aggressively. The riders in yellow and black stayed true to that plan. First, Hagenes and Jorgenson went clear, and later Campenaerts bridged across as the race approached the finale. The trio eventually found themselves in a group of around forty riders chasing sole leader Jasper Stuyven.

When Stuyven was caught with several kilometers remaining, Hagenes launched an all-or-nothing move. With many sprinters still present in the front group, the Tour debutant was given very little room during his late attack. A bunch sprint proved inevitable, and Philipsen emerged victorious. “With so many world-class riders in the finale, you know it’s going to be difficult to make something happen”, Hagenes says afterward.

The 23-year-old continues: “Still, we gave it a try in the final kilometers, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. For the television viewers, it must have been an entertaining stage. It was the same in the peloton, even though it was tough. We were in the mix today, which was something we had talked about beforehand, and we were able to show ourselves. That’s a positive sign for the team.”

“We saw a very strong team today and we went all-in”, Reef adds. “It was full-gas racing from start to finish. We expected a lot of interest in the breakaway and wanted to be part of it, and the riders delivered. This was a good opportunity for Per. Unfortunately, there were still plenty of sprinters in the first group with support around them. In that situation, a late attack has very little chance of succeeding. We’ll take those attacking intentions into the coming days.”