Van der Poel could've been part of the battle for the win if he had managed to latch on to Pedersen's group but it was too big of an effort. The World Champion ultimately arrived 88th on the stage over 18 minutes down on the peloton. Something which may allow him to have fresher legs today in Bologna in comparison to other contenders for the stage.
Today's hilly course does not feature the long climbs that are a difficulty for the
Alpecin-Deceuninck rider, but the ascent to Madona di San Luca is quite brutal specially in such weather conditions, and may be too constant of an effort to see van der Poel contest for the wni. However, after racing to third at Liège-Bastogne-Liège this year, he cannot be discarded, even if he admits himself that it may be too much. "I do want to have a shot at winning a stage. I hope to continue to grow in the coming days, but I know that the next stage will also be difficult for me," he concluded.
