It was the queen stage in the Tour de Romandie, with four 1st category climbs along the 162.7 km from Fribourg to the summit finish in Champex-Lac.

After 10 kmtwo riders escaped from the bunch (Belkov and Naulleau), but the peloton controlled the breakaway thanks to the cooperation of all the teams of the top riders, including LAMPRE-MERIDA. The breakway was neutralized at 20 km to go and the bunch approached the final climb at a very high speed. The top riders battled in the rain for the stage victory and the leadership of the overall classification.

Unfortunately, Rui Costa left the core of the battlefield at 7km to go, when he was dropped from the lead group, reaching the finish in 29th place at 4'08" to winner Pinot. The stage gave the leadership of the overall classification to Zakarin while Rui Costa is in the top 30 in the 27th place (+4'43").

Sport director Mauduit analyzed the performance of the team: "Rui's aim was to be protagonist as he has been in the first part of the season.
So he started with the target of battling against the other top riders on the final climb and the team supported this project, also working on the front of the bunch in the chase to the breakway.

"Unfortunately, Rui didin't have very good feelings and so he had to give up in the fight against the top riders: I think it's something that can be linked to the fact that Rui has been a protagonist in every race he has done since Febraury and considering that he did very good performances in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and in the Ardennes Classics. 

"So there is nothing to worry about, just a normal bad day at the end of a very long period of high competitiveness."