It took a long time before the leading group was formed. Only in the run-up to the first climb of the day, the Coll de Rates, a group of eleven riders managed to break away from the peloton. Their lead remained limited as their advantage never grew bigger than two and a half minutes. Yet, the last fugitive was caught only on the final climb by a depleted peloton containing Oomen and Vader. They eventually lost just over a minute to winner Aleksandr Vlasov.

“I went all the way. It was tough and at the same time it was a lot of fun”, Vader said. “I rode up the final climb with the first fifteen riders. The crowd’s atmosphere and riding among the big names gave me a lot of morale.”

Vader is making his debut as a (professional) road rider during this Tour of Valencia. “It took me some time getting into it. It had been a while since I had raced on the road and not at this level. Meanwhile, I have adapted and I am used to the dynamics within the peloton. I also feel more and more part of the team. I still have a lot to learn, but in these three days, there is already progress. But there’s still plenty to improve. I’m really looking forward to that.”