Rüegg, isolated, faced relentless challenges from multiple teams, particularly Lidl-Trek, repeatedly forcing her to close gaps on her own. Despite the continuous pressure, none of the attacks succeeded, leading to a reduced bunch sprint.
Rüegg admitted that defending the ochre leader's jersey was 'quite a challenge.' She noted that the last two laps were particularly nerve-wracking, but felt the team's strategizing and her preparation helped her maintain her position.
'Honestly, they didn't make it easy for us. For sure, they tried a lot of moves, especially in the last two laps... I was just super nervous, honestly, the whole day, I was like, well, I really want to bring it home,' Rüegg remarked.
Following her teammate's wheel, Chloé Dygert bided her time in the reduced peloton and opened her sprint in the final uphill metres to take the stage victory, just ahead of Rüegg.
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