Lotto-Belisol Manager Marc Sergeant was rather displeased with the fact that André Greipel failed to join the decisive break of Friday’s stage as Saxo-Tinkoff launched an offensive that split the lead group some 30 km from the finish line.

“At the moment when OPQS took the initiative to form echelons at about 100 kilometres from the end we were controlling the lead of the escapees with a few teams,” Sergeant elaborated. “Only Jürgen Roelandts was standing at the side of the road because nature called and Greg Henderson just came to get drinks at the team car when it split up. At that moment there was no problem. When Saxo-Tinkoff made a new coup with 30km to go and only 14 riders were left, we had no one in front. I have to say it as it is: at that point André should only keep an eye on Sagan and Cavendish. They were in the break and he wasn’t. And he should have been there as well.”

Jürgen Roelandts said that once he had been overtaken, there was no way of returning to the front. “What can I say? I was standing at the side of the road, and they increased the tempo and I never got in front again. I never saw the remainder of the stage. During the first 50 kilometres I was perfectly in front, but one moment was enough to get caught up in the back. It’s a pity.”