In a very short but demanding stage of just 73 kilometers, the peloton faced no fewer than three categorized climbs. The finish was located at the summit of the Coll de Pal—a nearly twenty-kilometer ascent with an average gradient of 6.8%.

After Vollering launched multiple attacks with eleven kilometers to go, only Bunel was able to follow. The 20-year-old French rider held on for a long time, but eventually had to let go just a few hundred meters from the finish. De Vries sprinted to third place behind Vollering and Bunel. In the general classification, Bunel and De Vries now are in third and fifth place, respectively.

“This was a stage I had been looking forward to all week”, Bunel said. “Especially because of the final climb. I felt good and focused on wasting as little energy as possible before the final ascent. The team helped me a lot with that, and I’m incredibly thankful. I managed to stay on Demi’s wheel for a long time, but eventually I had to let go. Still, I’m really happy with second place and with how we raced as a team today.”

De Vries also looks back on a successful stage. “I felt great today. I was well-positioned throughout and that gave me confidence heading into the tough final climb. Fortunately, I still had plenty of energy left. In the chasing group I felt strong, but held back a bit because Marion was up front with Demi. Toward the end, I launched an attack when the others lost focus for a moment. The sprint for third was one I’m really happy with. I felt very strong today and I’m very pleased with this third place”, the Dutch rider concluded.