Balsamo does it. Gåskjenn almost found a way through, but it was too little, too late. The other teams, apart from FDJ, AGI-S and UAE, didn't deserve to get much of it either.
We'll see what happens, but I don't expect her to be able to stay with the best there. I think it will play out more like stage one of this race. Not that Vollering will definitely win, but I don't think the sprinters, Kopecky possibly excluded, will be in front by the end.
I wonder if there is motivation to bring back this break with 40kms to go. Teams will have to work and bring some time back or there could be changes in GC.
De Vries won an intermediate sprint earlier and moved up on GC. I also assumed Veenhoven would be going for the stage, but I didn't really pay attention to weather she had been working at the front or not.
Thank God Visma chased. How embarrassing to allow Bredewold in the break who had already won a stage and was favorite to win from the break. For me, Balsamo was unimpressive in her wins. She can get better.