Another controlled sprint stage at the Tour de Hongrie saw Team dsm-firmenich PostNL ride well as a unit, keeping each other safe throughout the day before turning their attention to the final. Looking to set up sprint finisher Emils Liepins for the gallop to the line, Pavel Bittner and Niklas Märkl supported Liepins as they approached the closing kilometres but the washing-machine effect was on full display in the bunch and it was hard to move up together in the chaos. In the end, Liepins was able to find his way through but had to start his sprint from too far back, eventually taking tenth place at the line.
Liepins said: “It was another quite hectic final today. We were all together but at around four kilometres to go Niklas hit a pothole hard and from that unfortunately got a puncture so we lost him there. Then approaching a roundabout there was quite a bit of fighting for position and I lost Pavel there because some guys got between us and I had to put my brakes on pretty hard. I needed to then do a big effort to get back to Pavel, and when I got back to him I was pretty empty already. I think from that point my sprint was gone and in the final I was too far back, and that was it for the day. Pavel did a good job in the final, as did all of the guys today – we were all going for one goal. If we keep on going like that then one day it will come.