Reusser is extremely annoyed with Vollering: “If she would just act a bit more normal in the race…”

She may not have been furious, but frustrated or irritated? Absolutely. “I have to be careful with how I phrase this,” Reusser told Cycling Pro, choosing her words deliberately. “Demi isn’t someone who takes much responsibility in moments like this. She panics a lot, and if she would just act a bit more normal in the race, we wouldn’t end up in dangerous situations. I try to deal with it and stay calm, but it’s not easy.”

With 7 kilometers to go, Kasia Niewiadoma managed to break away and claw back 30 seconds. “It makes the race more interesting, but it would be even more interesting if Demi had anything to do with it,” Reusser quipped through gritted teeth. The Polish rider is currently 1:21 behind the Movistar leader, who doesn’t appear too shaken. “Of course Kasia gained some time, but it should still be manageable. Not great, not terrible, just okay.”

The stage win went to Kraak, fellow Dutchwoman and teammate of Demi Vollering. But the overall leader, Marlen Reusser, didn’t mind one bit. “For us, it was perfectly fine to let a breakaway go, that way the bonus seconds are taken off the table, including at the finish,” she explained. “As long as the breakaway didn’t win by more than eight minutes, it was all good. We set the pace on the climbs, but otherwise just let the race unfold.”