Greig Leach

Not only was the panels covered in polka dots at ths summit of the Cote de Toulard the immediate goal for Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) and Harm Vanhoucke (Lotto Soudal), the similarly bedeck jersey was the goal of the day for Madouas. Vanhoucke was doing what he could to try and reduce the points that Madouas garnered at each summit in hopes of keeping his teammate in the King of the Mountains jersey. However, Madouas had gotten the best of the Belgium rider in red on every climb thus far, including this one. That fact has insured that the Frenchman will be pulling on the Maillot a Pois at the end of today's stage.