Bennett "thought it would be easier" with flat last stretch in Provence, Pedersen sees there’s still work to do

The flattest stage of the race was anything but easy. Bennett was still breathing heavily after the effort in the flash interview. "I thought it would be much easier. The breakaway was strong. They also tried to make progress in the GC, so we had to ride hard in the peloton. I think my guys did a great job controlling the race. After the last two days, today was a bit harder on the legs, but my team kept me in a great position."

Bennett was still far back with three kilometers to go, but in the final stretch, his team brought him forward a bit. "I tried to come from behind with speed, and it worked. I thought it was too early, but I could hold them off." Marijn van den Berg went alongside the Irishman but did not pass him. Behind them, Dutch rider Alexander Konijn finished a strong third. The sprint was overshadowed by a nasty crash for Pascal Ackermann, who was not injured.

Pedersen won the Tour de la Provence overall for the second year. "It was an action-packed day, and a strong breakaway went away late in the race. It wasn't easy to catch them. We and other teams managed to do so so we could sprint as we wanted. The result was not what we wanted, but we did win the GC. So all is well."

Last year, the Danish Lidl-Trek rider won three out of four stages, but things were a bit more complicated this year. "I still have some work to do," he says, looking ahead to the spring classics. "I'm not in top form yet, but Roubaix is still two months away." The former world champion has made the Hell of the North race on April 13 his absolute main goal.