John Degenkolb said that his Giant Shimano team stuck to their plan as he took his second successive Tour Méditerranéen stage win.
"I felt really good at the finish today and in the end won by a few bike lengths which is always a good feeling," Degenlolb said to his team's Press office.
"Like yesterday the guys did a great job controlling the race, and I'm really just the guy who finishes it off at the end - they do most of the work.
"I still had four guys with me at the finish and they let it out from with 4km to go and set me up perfectly. I can really feel the stiffness of the bike too. I'm riding the Giant Propel Advanced SL and everything you put through it comes straight out as speed; it feels great to ride. We stuck to the plan today and it paid off."