Greig Leach

In her pre-race interview Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) was asked about her plan for the day after she gleefully showed off her full polka dot kit for today's stage. She also revealed that her team had promised her a new bike with a polka dot paint job if she still held the jersey at the end of the day. So, her response to the question was, "I'll get into the breakaway and gain as many QOM points as I can." She was still off the front having spent the whole stage in the breakaway collecting the maximum points on every climb thus far with the exception with the first one of the day. (She was second over that one) Perhaps she had decided that she should go over the final climb first as well. She was now on her own just going under the flame rouge that signifies that she now has just one kilometer left to race. At this point she still has a minute and a half on the lone chaser and a little more to the group containing the Maillot Jaune. I don't think her plan had included winning the stage, but she did want to collect as many QOM points towards her Maillot a Pois as she could.