Thrusday 10: 12:35–12:45 → 17:15–17:40
It looks like another stage for punchers, but will they be stars of the punch again, or could some breakaway men with some punch (like Healy in his in-shape version) compete? Or might a few sprinters (like Groves) make it through the last climbs?
Healy indeed made the first attempt with Q. Simmons right after the intermediate sprint. Before that, nobody tried as the sprinters teams made it clear they would pull and if necessary chase. They stayed ahead (joined by an Astana and Campenaerts) a dozen km before getting caught near the top of the first 3rd category climb. Then many attempts were made. What seemed to be the true breakaway started just after the second 3rd cat. climn, a group of 5 with Van der Poel and again Q. Simmons and Healy. However counter-attacks never stopped and the groups was a few seconds from being caught up a couple of times, which allowed a few extra riders to jump and join the breakaway. It is only after 100 km into the stage that the peloton gave up!
This was a typical case of all teams willing to go into a breakaway on the same day and not on other days…