Greig Leach

The peloton found itself coming to the intermediate sprint with a five-man break up the road yet again. For the third time (I think) Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) was sprinting to be the 'best of the rest' in Pledran. He was easily able to come around last year's winner of the final Maillot Vert, Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty). I can't decide if Milan is just that much better, or Girmay just doesn't have the punch he had in 2024. Still, bringing Milan over Mads Pedersen seems to have been the correct decision for Lidl-Trek. Normally I have been seeing Eritrean flags at the sprint points, but today the only flag flying was of Slovenia for the erstwhile Maillot Jaune of Tadej Pogacar.