"Christophe and I agreed during the second local lap to open up the race," Van Aert explained after the finish to the Team Visma website. "I was really on my limit at that point. In the final local lap, we mainly wanted to secure the GC and, if possible, go for the stage win with Christophe. We had different options depending on who still had the best legs."
On the final climb, the plan briefly took a different turn. "I thought Christophe was still on my wheel, but through the radio I heard that I had created a gap. At that moment, I had to keep going and go for my own chance."
Van Aert looks back on his hat trick in Denmark with great satisfaction. "Winning three stages in a row is something I have never experienced before. It is a new experience, and it's really cool. We are in a good position in the GC, but we still have competitors. We need to stay sharp for everything that comes our way in the next few days."