🎥 Visma | LaB leaders well placed after excellent time trial, as youngster causes comical miscalculation

Laporte rode a great time trial, beating the top time set by Dutch champion Daan Hoole (Lidl-Trek). For a long time, the Frenchman looked poised to take the win in Etten-Leur, but in the end, stage winner Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) and Jakob Söderqvist (Lidl-Trek) both went well under his time. Despite that, the recently returned Laporte is far from dissatisfied.

“I can be satisfied with the performance I delivered,” he said on the team’s website. “I went full gas to the finish, so I have no regrets. I’m still in a strong position overall. There are some tough stages ahead, so we’ll see how the race unfolds.” In the GC, Laporte needs to make up 19 seconds on the British leader.

Sports director Arthur van Dongen sees that his team will have plenty of options for the coming challenging stages. “We finished third and eighth today. That gives us confidence for the tough days to come. It’s not up to us to control or dictate the race, but we’ll try to strike at the right moments.”

Visma | Lease a Bike is constantly in the mix, but a victory in their home tour still eludes them. That’s what the team will continue to aim for. “Our goal remains to aim for a strong general classification and to try to win a stage. We’ve finished second, third and fourth so far, which shows we’re right up there. Tomorrow, we’ll definitely go for the best possible result again."

During the Tour of Holland, the Dutch team is giving opportunities to young talents. The Norwegians Mikal Grimstad Uglehus and Jonas Kind Høydahl have been allowed to gain experience with the elite squad. The latter, however, provided a hilarious moment: the 19-year-old Norwegian, who recently extended his contract, rode a solid time trial in Brabant.

He pushed himself to the limit but made a miscalculation in the absolute finale. About 120 meters from the finish, a line had been drawn on the road, and he mistook it for the actual finish line. So he eased up, but when he came around the final corner, he realized his mistake. Even so, he still finished 31st in the results. Impressive!