The longest stage in the Giro d’Italia 2015 became a quiet one for Team LottoNL-Jumbo. The team assessed the breakaway as too small to be part of and the profile was too hard for sprinter Moreno Hofland. Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) won the stage.

“It was a long day,” sports director Frans Maassen said. “That could have been different, but you need the riders and a favourable wind for a high pace. It was headwind the whole day, so it was hard for the escape riders to go for it with full motivation.

“We were initially planning to be part of a breakaway, but we didn’t want to be in a small, group without hope. It became clear that several teams didn’t want to let go a bigger group of riders, so we chose to go for plan B. That was to try something in the final with Moreno Hofland or Steven Kruijswijk.”

The final kilometres proved to be too hard for Hofland, however.

“André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) was the only sprinter who was able to maintain his spot in the first group,” Maassen continued. “But he didn’t have the power to sprint any more. That proves that it was tougher than it seemed in the road book. Steven isn’t someone who has the abilities to force something in a bunch sprint, but he rode a carefree stage.”

Kruijswijk has to prove that he is in a good shape in the summit finish stage on Saturday.

“It’s the first uphill finish on a first category climb,” said Maassen. “It will be one for the overall riders again.”