The first 80km of today's stage were relatively calm before becoming hillier. In the middle of the race, the Cat. 1 climb to Urkiola (5.5km / 9.4%) provided the first obstacle. In the finale, there were two final laps with a total of four more climbs before descending slightly towards the finish. With the withdrawal of Primož Roglič, who had to leave the race early as a result of a crash yesterday, the hopes of BORA - hansgrohe rested on Maximilian Schachmann. On the final climb, the German launched an attack, resulting in around only 25 riders remaining at the front of the field. Despite a strong sprint, he was overtaken by Romain Grégoire and Orluis Aular over the last meters. With this result, he moves up to second place overall, and ahead of the final stage, he now sits just behind Mattias Skjelmose, the current yellow jersey wearer.
From the Finish Line
"The stage today was really fast, and as a team, we showed a great performance. Matteo and Jai positioned me well on the final climb. I felt strong and tried to make a move at the top. The descent was a real challenge. In the last corner, I was in second position and had no choice but to give it my all. Although I did my best, my legs just weren't there in the end." - Maximilian Schachmann
"After the low point of our leader Primož Roglič's withdrawal yesterday, we wanted to seize the opportunity on today's stage to achieve a good result with Max. From previous years, we know that usually a group of 20 to 30 riders fight for the finish, so it could suit Max well. He was very close to victory, but missed it narrowly. Nevertheless, I think we can be really satisfied with this result. He also moves up to second place in the general classification. So, it was a good day, and I am proud of how the guys rode." - Patxi Vila, Sports Director
Results
Photos: Sprintcycling