Tom Dumoulin shows his increasingly good shape by finishing 40sec behind stage-winner Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), passing the line in 28th.

A difficult stage was planned for the riders in Pais Vasco today as they had to overcome eight categorized climbs including a few extreme steep gradients. Dumoulin was able to follow the first group of GC contenders up to the final climb.

Coach Aike Visbeek: “Today was a typical Pais Vasco stage and a beautiful opportunity for Tom to test his legs as the steep hills made it into a hard final. Tom gave his maximum to finish 40 seconds after the winner.

“The team did a good job today, they assisted Tom wherever necessary. We are happy with his current level as he gets better by the day. Which is good for both his’ and the team’s confidence”