"Today was a day where you could really only lose" - Visma DS relieved that his riders weren't caught up in stage 3 chaos
Cycling
Stage 3 was one that was expected to run smoothly towards the expected bunch finish. An easy day for teams like Visma | Lease a Bike - a team without any real sprinter ambition.
"We had headwind for most of the day, which created some nervousness in the bunch," analyzed sports director Grischa Niermann afterwards in a press release. "We saw that in the finale as well, with the crashes. Today was a day where you could really only lose. Luckily, we didn't and we all crossed the finish line safely. It was another strong performance from the team."
Thankfully for the Dutch team, none of their riders were really involved in the chaos that unfolded with 5 kilometers to go as the peloton arrived to Dunkerque. That includes Wout Van Aert who opted to cruise to the finishline without any unnecessary risks.
The Belgian rider explains that it was a strategical decision: "In the finale, we drifted a bit towards the back with the team. Overall, I was able to recover well today. Hopefully I’ll feel a bit better tomorrow, so that I can fight for the stage win."
So far, we have not seen much of the 30-year-old, but if his legs respond better tomorrow, a perfect stage is up ahead in Rouen. The steep climbs just before finish are guaranteed to remove most sprinters from the equation which would create a perfect scenario for the all-rounder.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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