After four days of bunch sprints, a similar scenario was never on the cards for stage five. The 165-kilometre route may have started flat, but the finale contained two climbs, including a decisive final ascent of just over three kilometres at an average gradient of nearly eight percent.

A breakaway animated much of the day, holding a steady gap of several minutes over the peloton. The real action unfolded on the final climb, where Double launched a strong solo effort to take the win. Nordhagen and Uijtdebroeks crossed the line eleven seconds behind the British rider in a shattered field. Their strong ride also saw them move up in the general classification: Nordhagen now sits fifth, while Uijtdebroeks occupies sixth place. Nordhagen is the new leader in the youth classification.

“The legs felt good today”, Uijtdebroeks said afterwards. “This was clearly the toughest stage of the race. With the difficult finish, our plan as a team was to focus on the final climb. I felt strong, the legs were there, but unfortunately the win was just out of reach.”