A day normally set for GC fireworks, Sunday’s short and climb-filled route at Paris – Nice was no different with a brutally hard day of racing combined with rainy conditions. Starting with just two riders, Martijn Tusveld and Gijs Leemreize, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL aimed to infiltrate the break and play their chances that way. It was an attacking start and Leemreize did manage to make it into a counter-attacking group behind lone leader Campenaerts but the peloton only ever let his move gain 30 seconds at most. It was clear that it was set to be a GC day and with 40 kilometres remaining only those at the top of the overall standings were left to fight it out for the day result, with Leemreize riding it home in Nice in one of the many chasing groups.
Leemreize said: “It was a really hard stage from the beginning. We tried to be in the break, but missed the first one. On the top of the first climb I tried to jump across to the front group, but didn’t make it. I then blew up a bit and from then on it was about coming to the finish in a good way.”