> "It was close, but unfortunately we didn't win," Grischa Niermann, Head of Racing at Visma-Lease a Bike, told Wielerflits.

> "Our plan? Follow, because we were sure UAE and Tadej would go for the stage."

> "It wasn't possible to make up 4:30 today. We wanted to win, and this was the way to beat Tadej, to make him work."

> "But he clearly wanted to win too, and they miscalculated. Hats off to Thymen and Ineos."