The riders struggled through one of the harshest climbs on the calendar yesterday, but won’t be given much respite on Stage 4 today, taking on the second uphill finish in the opening days. Join The Roar from 10:45pm (AEST) for all the live highlights and racing action.
Ruben Fernandez is holding onto a seven-second lead coming into the fourth day in the saddle, but he’s got Alejandro Valverde and Chris Froome on his tail after they both finished strong on Stage 3 to slot in behind him.
Stage 4 will be the second finish on the ascent in the opening four days for the peloton, as they’re greeted with three main climbs and a few medium rises throughout the day.
The steady opening flats will give the riders a chance to build into the first climb of the day, hitting the rise 20km into the stage.
The category 3 Alto da Serra Capela is their first task, climbing over 500 metres at around four and a half percent for 6.5km, before a brief respite for the riders in the form of a short descent.
It’s straight back into the leg burning through, moving up the next category 3 Alto Monte Caxado, peaking at the highest point of the day, 670m above sea level.
After 7.3km of the Caxado, the pack head all the way up to the north-west coastline of Spain towards the finish. A pair of table top runs break up the 70km of flats leading into the final climb.
A category two, the last climb to the line is broken up into sections, the first rising at around 5% for 6km before the slightest of declines where the pace will shoot off and the chance that a breakaway, or chase, can really seize.
The last four kilometres are much heavier though, hitting around 7% just to really hit the riders hard after 159km of riding.
The last stretch is a 2km straight piece of tarmac, meaning the riders will spend a long time leading into the final sprint, as much as you can sprint at 7%, without any breaking corners.
Prediction
A tough day in the saddle for everyone, this one should certainly produce breakaway opportunities.
Other than the inevitable bunch of four or five that will shoot off the start at the first climb, the final run into the finish has a couple of big chances for a break on the field.
Brambilla could fare well on this one, as will Valverde if he wants to play the early cards and take the GC lead in the opening week.
Froome will most likely stay back in the pack and pick up a safe time without risking too much, there’s still too long to go for him to burn himself out.
Ben Hermans might be an outside run on a breakaway but don’t expect too much there.
Connor Bennett
Editor
GC Standings after Stage 4:
Connor Bennett
Editor
The breakaway made the jump early with a big pack of 21, but where the peloton would normally fire late to reign in the leaders and make a jump for the finish... nothing happened today. The peloton were too disorganised, disinterested and unmotivated to make anything happen. The most speed they put up was the final kilometre when they were trying to keep the time split as small as possible at the finish line. Darwin Atapuma is the new GC LEADER!! Atapuma rode a wonderful race to turn a hopeful break into a strong second place in the stage and a red jersey lead. Calmejane timed his leap off the front beautifully towards the end and he just had enough in the legs to keep the chase from reigning him in.
Connor Bennett
Editor
The top ten results for Stage 4
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Editor
Lilian Calmejane WINS STAGE 4!!
Connor Bennett
Editor
The peleton are coming through. A lot of riders up in the saddle trying to limit the damage and keep the time loss to a minimum. The final stretch is quite narrow for the pack to squeeze through. Just a hint over two minutes back from the Calmejane and the peleton cross the line. We will have a new red jersey leader!!
Connor Bennett
Editor
Calmejane is grinding his way, pedal by pedal, to this finish line!! He won't be caught, but he's taking a long time to run this final few hundred metres, looking behind him to check the rivals, but now he knows he's got it!! Fist pump, the arms raised as the Frenchman crosses the line. Atapuma just jumps past King for second and third respectively a few seconds behind Calmjane
Connor Bennett
Editor
Into the final kilometre!! The last leg is a long straight climb for the riders. They can see the finish line from a long way away.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Darwin Atapuma passes the 2km gate and is actually catching Calmejane. Atapuma is riding himself into the leaders red jersey here as the closest man to the top spot among the breakaway today, and he's stuck with it and now has a chance to leap through the GC standings.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Atapuma tries to jump off the front again!! He's been doing it all day but has failed at every turn.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Rolland has sunk back and been absorbed into the chase group that has thinned right out to six riders now
Connor Bennett
Editor
Just 3 kilometres remaining!! Calmejane has gone through the short, sharp descent to give the legs a rest, but he's back onto the final climb now. The peleton is 3 and a half minutes back and just don't look like they'll be catching anyone. The breakaway are now playing catchup with Calmejane.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Atapuma makes a move!! But he's reigned straight back in by the rest of the breakaway pack. Calmejane keeping his lead out the front of the stage at the moment, battling hard with 6.5km to g0. Pierre Rolland is stuck in no mans land between Clamejane and the remaining breakaway group
Connor Bennett
Editor
Calmejane jumps off the front of the main breakaway group. The Frenchman creating quite a good gap already.
Connor Bennett
Editor
It's turning into a real grind here with just under nine kilometres to go. A lot of climbing stll. The peleton are just three and a half minutes away now. They've made big ground in the last few km's as the 21 man lead group hit the ascent.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Domont makes yet another move coming into the base of the last rise. Remember, the final 12km is broken up by a minor descent, but it's still one sharp climb that works nearly 600m upwards.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Movistar and Tinkoff lining up at the front of the peloton. They have a lot of work to do if they want to catch this breakaway, but you have to feel it's more of a damage limitation at this point.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Domont now makes a move off the front of the breakaway!! He's finding much more success than De Gandt a few moments ago.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Getting closer to that final climb, around 10km away now and the lead is out over five minutes!! The peleton look to be nearly conceding now. At the front though, De Gendt has made a bit of a move off the front of the breakaway!! He's trying to just push his rivals into the base of the climb and break away from the weaker sprinters and hamper the mountain men.
Connor Bennett
Editor
Ooohhh a bit of a jump there at the front of the lead group by Axel Domont it looked to be. He didn't put in a huge effort before falling back. These breakaway riders might just be scoping each other out early before the finish
Connor Bennett
Editor
The roads are beginning to wind and undulate a touch here as the riders hit the awkward little roller-coasting section before one final flat section into the last ascent . It's fairly tight in some sections so we could see some of the lower riders get caught out there, maybe even hinder the overall pace of the peloton if there's a stack at the front.