After two tough and hard days a double stage awaited the riders today before wrapping up Le Triptyque des Mônts et Châteaux. The day started off with a 9,6 km long parcour that featured one short climb halfway the effort. Our best finisher in the race against the clock was the first year U23 Daan Hoole who powered to 16th in the day with teammate Edoardo Affini making it into the Top 20 with a 19th overall. The morning effort left the two mentioned riders, Jan Maas and Marten Kooistra within one minute in GC ahead of the hilly afternoon sector. 

The road stage was off to a fast start and it took a while for the breakaway to eventually go away. With 40 km to go and in the slopes of a first category climb the bunch broke into pieces with Affini and Maas following Hoole who led the peloton over the Côte de Bourliquet.  As the main group was going through the following climbs less riders remained in it, but Jan Maas and Edoardo Affini got into the last five kilometers in the front group. Some mechanical problems did not allow our Italian rider to perform at his best in the last slopes and the strong Dutchman finished inside the second group, behind the 6-man group that sprinted for the victory. 

The 22-year Dutchman was the our highest placed rider in the overall classification as he jumped into 16th place on GC, but we travel back home without the result that we were hoping for. Luckily for us, we have the chance to bounce back next weekend in Circuit des Ardennes and Ronde van Vlaanderen.