After their stage success yesterday, Development Team DSM were back in action today for stage three of the Tour de Normandie. Faced with 181 kilometres from Nonancourt to Elbeuf-sur-Seine, it was an attacking start to the day with lots of probing moves at the head of the bunch. Yet, despite a couple of riders gaining a small gap, the race was all together after 70 kilometres – with a really high pace in the peloton. Eventually the elastic snapped and a two rider move went clear, with all Team DSM riders in the peloton and Enzo Leijnse doing a strong job of controlling the gap.

Working well as a unit, the team looked to protect Casper Van Uden as the race headed towards its hilly finale, where some punchy climbs littered throughout the closing circuit. The climbs tempted attacks and four rider broke clear of the bunch on the last ascent inside the final ten kilometres. The team committed to try and reel them back in but they just held on to fight it out for the win, with Van Uden leading the bunch home just a few seconds behind.

“Once gain the boys did another really good job today keeping me in the front,” explained Van Uden at the finish. “It was some pretty full gas racing from the start and with some attacks in the finale. We rode together well as a group and in the end we gambled on the sprint finish, but unfortunately four guys stayed away and I brought it home in the peloton for fifth. We’re all motivated and we’ll give it another go tomorrow.”

Team DSM coach Bennie Lambregts added: “I think we did some really good teamwork again. Of course after yesterday we were one of the favourites for the bunch sprint so we knew that we would have to work. We kept the race under control for the whole stage, with Enzo doing a really good job in the final part to bring the gap to the breakaway down to 40 seconds before the last ascent. Then on the climb there was a lot of attacks and Casper was in a good position but four guys made it into the final break. It was a close finish in the end, with Casper winning the bunch sprint behind for fifth, with Pavel doing a good lead-out. I saw a really motivated team once again today and we can be proud of that.”