Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) continued his love affair with the Giro d’Italia by claiming a stage win for the third year in a row when he came out on top in a brutally hard fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia. The Italian made it into a strong 11-rider group in the finale and after Valerio Conti had sacrificed himself for his teammate, he dropped his rivals on the climb and held off an elite group of climbers to take the win. Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) made a late attack to take second and move back into the race lead.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Late change of plans brings Diego Ulissi fifth Giro d’Italia stage win

When the first and main breakaway of the stage was neutralized (Mohoric was a brilliant member of this action), Ulissi built up his victory by attacking from the bunch at 30 km to go, bridging the gap to the head group of 12 riders in which the blue-fucshia-green rider Valerio Conti was riding.

Conti was great in leading this group and he created the conditions for approaching the final climb with a fairly good advantage over the peloton.

Ulissi made an amazing progression and no opponent could resist, so LAMPRE-MERIDA's rider could manage 20” of advantage which gave him the victory and the third place in the general classification at 20 seconds.
 

"I’m extremely happy,” he said. “My victory comes after enormous team work. Valerio Conti managed to create the small group and I rode away knowing that, on the final descent, the peloton of chasers would go even faster than me. I gave it everything I had. It’s a huge emotion.

 

“I’m really happy because we did a great job as a team. Valerio Conti was exceptional in the way he dragged the attack away. I gave it everything on the climb and was worried I’d be caught on the descent but I hung and got it. When I looked around with 10 metres to go, I realised I’d got it. It’s a special moment.

 

"It’s a really nice feeling. I’m from Italy so it’s great to win in the Giro. When I was small I dreamed of things like this, it’s a beautiful emotion. I started the season very well, of course in the Classics I was very up and down and I’m very happy that I kept my form into the Giro and it was perfect today.

 

"Of course, we had Mohoric in the break this morning and we wanted to let the others to the work and rest behind. When the break went it was a bit nervous again and Conti was excellent in getting into that second group and that helped me to get across to him. I was a bit scared that if I attacked on that final climb that I wouldn’t have the legs at the end. Conti was great and he did a great job to do most of that climb for me.

 

“This victory, my 5th in the Giro d'Italia, is so special because it came after we planned it and we realized the program we had decided with the sports directors. We wanted that one member of the team was in the main breakaway and we did it thanks to Mohoric, my team mates supported me perfectly in approaching all the climbs in good positions. Conti had the task of being with me in the final part of the stage and he was impressive with his actions in leading the breakaway.
 

”I thank all my team mates, all the team's staff members and the sponsors of the team: it's something so beautiful to share with them the joy for this success.

 

“Like last year, our team’s goal was to win at least a stage at the Giro d’Italia and we have already got it on Day Four. We’ve started the race on the right foot. I was going well all year but I hadn’t won yet.

 

”I’m really happy and it was amazing to see a young team-mate like Valerio Conti riding flat out for me without saying a word. At the end, [sport director Orlando] Maini was yelling. My ears hurt more than my legs.

 

"In the end, I thought I had to go, without thinking ... just give it all. The arrival was difficult. It was very hot today and the course was more selective than we thought. In the end we improvised. Basically, I had to attack on the last climb and stay in the bunch. Under the conditions, it was complicated to get away and win.

 

“The descent was into a headwind and the first part was on wide roads, so the advantage was with the gruppo behind me. I showed today that I’ve matured mentally. I was ready to risk losing in order to win. But like Bartoli says, it’s good to be inventive.”

 

"Every year, I have matured physically. In the classics I showed that I like the long distances and I have my place among the best. I become aware of my qualities.

 

“I had a lot of conviction going into the Classics, and I’ve started to show that I can last the distance. It’s just a shame that it didn’t go well for me at Liège, but I came into this Giro in great form and I was ready for a stage that suited me like today.

 

"Our goal was to win at least one stage. Last year, it was a special Giro. It will be difficult to repeat the same but it is a good start.

“I’m not thinking of the pink jersey. It’s just something that might come about naturally. I’ll just have a go on every stage that suits me. But today, I was only thinking about the stage win, not the jersey.”

 

”We will try to go for another victory. It is a complete team with strong young riders like Conti and Mohoric who escaped, and fast riders. We have many strengths.”

 

“We’re a team that is looking for stage wins,” Conti said. “We don’t really have a GC contender and we don’t have a Kittel either so it’s not always easy to get wins. Of course, we had a plan, we had the legs as well, it was a great move.

 

“I gave everything, I gave my soul on the road for Diego to get up that climb. Of course, we have a great relationship. I race with my heart for him and it was a great victory. I’m glad he won.”

 

"We had planned the action to it. But we knew that in these stages we had to try to move, to anticipate. It was a hard stage, we always went fast and then the attacks started to come. There were many moves, and many teams joined the attacks. At first I was passive, then when Diego joined us, I gave it all until 10km remained.

 

Tom Dumoulin: I woulad have loved Georg Preidler to taek the jersey.

On the San Pietro climb, the race came to life with Giant-Alpecin putting on an impressive show of teamwork at the front to decimate the peloton and see some of the sprinters drop, including Kittel.

 

As the reduced bunch headed into the final 20km, lots of attacks took place and They  had Tom Dumoulin and Georg Preidler at the front on the final climb of the day.

 

Diego Ulissi (Lampre – Merida) won the stage after a late attack and Tom Dumoulin sprinted to an impressive second place and regained the pink jersey.

 

In the overall classification, Tom Dumoulin is now in the lead with an advantage of 20″ over the second place. It was also a huge performance by Georg Preidler who is now fifth overall.

 

“I was feeling good at the start of the stage. We knew that the finale was hard but we weren’t sure if it was difficult enough to regain the pink jersey.

 

“We made a plan to pull on the 2nd category climb and we were able to decimate the bunch. From then on the race was completely uncontrollable but we had four guys in the top 10 so we had several cards to play with.

 

“On the final climb, Georg was really strong and could follow the late attack. Our aim was to play it smart and get in a good position, as there were not a lot of riders left in the bunch.

 

“It is fantastic to be back in the pink jersey, which is what we were aiming for at the start of today.

 

"It’s great to get the Maglia Rosa back. That’s what we were working for today. We sent Georg Preidler into the last breakaway. It would have been perfect if he had taken the race lead but it wasn’t to be. At the last gasp, I tried for the stage win but Ulissi was just too strong.

 

“We knew the finale would be hard but we didn’t know if it would be too hard for Marcel [Kittel]. My team wanted the Maglia Rosa again. I’ve realized this morning at the start what it means to be in pink in Italy when I saw Marcel being pushed around. It’ll be my turn tomorrow.

 

“It was actually a bit harder than I expected. We knew it was a tricky final and probably too hard for Marcel. When we were riding on it I thought this is definitely too hard for Marcel so we decided to make it a hard race and to try and take pink. We did that but then the race went really uncontrollable actually, after the second GPM, but we had different cards to play with because we had Georg Preidler and Chad Haga close in the GC. They did really well and Georg was in that last breakaway and was the best placed rider so it was perfect because we didn’t need to chase. We were hoping that he would take the pink because he really deserved it but then we caught it back and I’m back on the podium again.

 

“After he went clear, they just caught him back and it all came back together again, and then the finish was just crazy enough for me to get ahead and go for the win.

 

“It was very uncontrollable but we just gambled. We had different cards to play with and we hoped for that. We were gambling that other teams would close it back and they did. I think that it was a nice final to watch on TV but not the right winner, I hoped to win.

 

"Right now, we're really good. We can be proud. This pink jersey, I really wanted to have it again, we deserve it after all the hard work we have done. At the end of the stage, Georg did everything to get back to Ulissi but I was not close enough to get the stage win.

 

“Once again my main focus for this Giro is on the time trials. I didn’t have any specific general classification preparation in terms of an altitude training camp. So I don’t expect my level to be good enough to compete in the high mountains during the last week.

 

“Maybe I’m not telling it right, or everybody is not getting it right, but I don’t think my level in the high mountains will be high enough. It’s going to be very hard to fight for the overall classification. Of course I will keep on riding in the Giro and I will keep on doing my best, and I will keep going. When I get dropped then I get dropped.”

 

Coach Marc Reef said after the race: “It was a very fast start to the race today with some dangerous riders for the GC in the early break. Therefore, the bunch was always in control and the gap never exceeded the 3′.

 

“The plan before the stage was to race offensively and we decided to open up on the first climb of the day. We needed to do something because we had four guys in the top 10 and there was a big possibility to go for a stage victory or to regain the leader’s jersey.

 

“On the final climb of the day, Georg was able to follow the first group as Tom remained in the GC group. He followed his instinct and sprinted to the second place and managed to retake the pink jersey. The team rode a very impressive race and they executed the plan very well.”

 

Better positioning the key for strong Steven Kruijswijk in the Giro

In the Giro d’Italia’s first stage in Italy after its Dutch start, Steven Kruijswijk went on the attack with Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) and gained five seconds. Team LottoNL-Jumbo GC leader jumped to fourth place with a one-second gain and a four-second time bonus.

 

Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) won the stage and Dumoulin took second, and re-gained the pink jersey.

 

Kruijswijk showed fight already in the first week. Halfway through the fourth stage, on the Bonifati climb, team LottoNL-Jumbo lined it out for him.

 

“You’re able to save a lot of energy on the first climb of the day, but you have to be in front to accomplish that,” he said. “Last year, I lost a lot of time in a moment like this. If my team-mates support me as they did today, I’m able to start the final part of the race fresh to compete for a stage victory. I’m happy to reward the team a little bit today so they will keep faith in me.”

 

“Steven was among the first riders all day,” Sports Director Addy Engels added. “The roads on the climbs were narrow and steep, so you have to be attentive. That’s where Steven improved. He showed that in the Netherlands. He is sharp.”

 

He proved so when Dumoulin attacked in the final kilometre.

 

“I saw a chance to go along with Tom,” Kruijswijk continued. “I was able to do one effort and finished third. That is a good result, but I wasn’t thinking about that actually. The most important thing is that today’s stage gave me a positive feeling.”

 

On Wednesday, the sprinters including Moreno Hofland will probably have another chance in Benevento.

 

“It’s a special finish, typical for the south of Italy,” Engels said. “It’s not for the pure sprinters, but something for men with a lot of power. Moreno proved to be strong and I think that he has a big chance.”

 

Alejandro Valverde: I didn’t know that Landa had been dropped

The first climbs of the 2016 Giro d'Italia brought Alejandro Valverde wherehe always belongs to as leader of the Movistar Team: the front of the peloton. Only a fantastic Diego Ulissi (LAM), solo winner of the day, plus late escapees and fellow Dutchmen Steven Kruijswijk (TLJ) and Tom Dumoulin (TGA), beat the Spaniard, always featuring prominently in a group of favourites that opened a gap on the 1.8km, 7.7% average climb of Via Fortino, key point of the 200km stage four from Catanzaro to Praia a Mare.

 

Loads of attacks - including José Joaquín Rojas in a short-lived, 18-man move - prevented the peloton, even the Movistar Team who pulled for a few kilometers, from controlling a race which has again Dumoulin as pink jersey, with 31 seconds over Valverde (now in 7th spot). In turn, Andrey Amador, so far the Blues' top performer, came through the line with a 37" deficit to the main favourites and sits now in 18th spot.

 

The ‘Corsa Rosa’ continues its way on Wednesday with a long stage five: 233km to Benevento, with easier roads in its finale than Tuesday's, yet with a 3% kick up to the finish.

 

Alejandro Valverde said: “I didn't realise Landa had been dropped on the Via Fortino ascent before the Astana riders, who were pushing at the front, told me after the climb. In such a steep, short climb, only 1.5km, you're focused on giving your all, and many times you're unable to keep your attention on such things. It was a difficult finish for everyone and in those situations, it's less hard for a break to succeed. Ulissi really did a great job, he deserved that win.

 

”I was in the right place: this has just begun, and even though we would have liked to take some seconds' bonus, I took a fine fourth spot, fine considering we're still very early in this Giro. I'm feeling quite well and I hope I can continue to do so in the next few days."

 

Andrey Amador after time loss: I did not feel like I wanted

Andrey Amador  said:

 

"It was a pretty tough day, very hot. I was not up to it, I did not feel like I wanted. I am very grateful to the entire team for supporting me and trusting me. There was the possibility of going for the overall, but it was not possible. Despite the bad day we have not lost much time. That’s important, but this is the Giro and there will be differences of minutes later. The team has been very good, Alejandro was there. The important thing is to keep his aspirations intact.”

 

Marcel Kittel: I am just not made for those climbs

A very relaxed Marcel Kittel came this morning to line up for stage 4, his first on Italian soil in two Giro d'Italia starts. Already winner in Nijmegen and Arnhem, general classification leader and holder of the red jersey, with more than 100 points into his pocket, the 27-year-old German went at the signature point joined by his teammates who were instrumental in the victories he scored last week-end, and received a warm welcome from the thousands of fans gathered in Catanzaro, the start city of Tuesday's 200-km long stage.

 

At noon, the riders rolled off on the packed roads of the town, with Kittel at the front, enjoying his special day in the maglia rosa, to which he matched the helmet, the shades and even the tap on his handlebars. The opening kilometers of the neutral zone were calm, but things changed as soon as the flag dropped, with several riders trying to go into the breakaway. This meant the peloton rode very fast in the first hour, recording a crazy average speed of 50 kilometers, which made attacks almost impossible.

 

Eventually, four men – Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF), Matthias Brandle (IAM Cycling), Matej Mohoric (Lampre-Merida) and Joey Rosskopf (BMC) – got a substantial margin and as soon as their advantage hit four minutes, Etixx – Quick-Step took the charge in the peloton. The escapees' gap began to drop, but it once again went up on the first categorized climb of the day. There, Astana and Movistar pushed a really hard pace, which led to Marcel Kittel being dropped and losing 1:40. Despite the gap being a considerable one, the maglia rosa holder managed to come back to the bunch thanks to the help of Fabio Sabatini and Matteo Trentin, as well as an impressive set of skills on the fast descent from Bonifati.

 

On the second climb of the day, a strong group of ten riders, which included Pieter Serry, got clear and put 30 seconds between them and the chasers. Serry was among the most active, taking some long pulls and even winning the last intermediate sprint, at Scalea. Then, before the tough Via del Fortino (1700 meters at an average of 7.7%), Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) broke clear and opened a 20-second margin, which proved to be enough for the final eight kilometers, as he cruised in Praia a Mare and nabbed the win, a couple of seconds ahead of Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), who took back the pink jersey, and Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo).

 

After attacking on both the last climb and on the descent, 28-year-old Gianluca Brambilla came home fifth – one of his best results of the season in a World Tour race – while Luxembourg champion Bob Jungels, who concluded the stage in the same time as his teammate, jumped to second in the overall classification and climbed on the podium in front of the fans at the end of the day to get rewarded with the white jersey for the best young rider of the race.

 

Even though he lost the maglia rosa, Marcel Kittel was all smiles in Praia a Mare, as he is still leading the red jersey rankings thanks to the points he scored on Saturday and Sunday, when he took back-to-back victories:

 

"It was a memorable day. The people who came to watch the race were unbelievable, cheering for us and shouting our name from start to finish. This shows just how much they love cycling and seeing them today made me even prouder to be here and have the jersey on my shoulders."

 

The first German rider in 10 years to lead the Giro, Marcel Kittel admitted that he hadn't the easiest of days on the lumpy roads of southern Italy, but despite suffering and losing the maglia rosa, he still remained upbeat:

 

"We honoured the pink jersey, but the final was very hard and so it turned out to be really difficult for me, also because we experienced high temperatures. I am a little bit sad, but losing the jersey wasn't a surprise, because the whole day was an up-and-down affair on a difficult parcours, totally different than the one in the Netherlands."

 

”Now I will continue to give my best in the following stages and ride with big confidence in myself and the team.

 

“Of course I’m disappointed that I lost it. In the ideal scenario I would have liked to keep it as a long as possible but it was only one day so I’m very happy that I had it. It was a very tough stage, with a lot of up and down. It was a very fast race too and that made it impossible for me to defend the jersey.

 

“When the other teams really started to go all out in the last part of the stage, my legs were already on the limit. Everybody knew that there was a steep climb coming up and my decision was clear.

 

“I’m just not made for those sorts of climbs, they are too hard for me. But I was very happy to be able to wear pink for at least one day, and in Italy too.

 

"I’m a little bit sad that I’ve lost the pink jersey. I knew it could happen. It’s still a very nice Giro for me. My first experience in the Maglia Rosa and my first day of racing at the Giro in Italy have made it a nice day in my life. Now I’ll look for more stage wins but without pressure. My team remains strong and focused-

 

“It’s very special. I felt a bit Italian now because this is also brings a bit of Italian characteristics with it (the pink jersey). Just the colours are really cool. I really loved having all the pink on the bike and my clothing. The fans, of course, they know what it means to have that jersey and it was great to have it, even for one day.”

 

“The first part of tomorrow’s stage is not so difficult, but it could be a very tough final. We’ll have to see what the wind direction is like, and how the other teams are handling the racing. It could be a surprisingly tough day.

 

“Today was too hard for me, but I was really happy to be able to enjoy the lead for one day. Now I’ve got red.”

 

Confident Bob Jungels takes white jersey at the Giro d’Italia

Italy seems to smile to Bob Jungels this season in the same way the ancient gods smiled to the heroes who set off from home to conquer the world and carve their name in the history books. After completing Tirreno-Adriatico on the podium and winning the best young rider classification, the 23-year-old found himself again in the white jersey and on the podium of one of the most prestigious races in the world:

 

"It's my first Grand Tour with Etixx – Quick-Step and I can already call it a success. It was a special day, but also a difficult one, made even harder by the other teams on the last climb, which was a nasty one. I am happy not only for taking the jersey and seeing that I have a good shape, but also for doing such a good job on a very difficult stage. It's great to be on the podium of the Giro d'Italia.

 

"Maybe what I’ve done today is a good indication of the shape I’m in. I did quite well. I was trying to pull the sprint for [Gianluca] Brambilla but it wasn’t possible to close the gap to Ulissi.

 

”I hope to keep the white jersey. I’d normally say that I’ll aim at the Maglia Rosa the day of the time trial but the guy ahead of me in the overall classification is Tom Dumoulin!

 

”To be in the Maglia Bianca is already something big for me. This is my first Grand Tour with Etixx - Quick-Step. I’m healthy and I’m looking forward to the two coming weeks".

 

Strong Gianluca Brambilla gains confidence from fifth place at the Giro d’Italia

Also Gianluca Brambilla, who is riding his home race for the fifth time, took a lot of confidence out of Tuesday's result:

 

"I tried on the downhill because I wanted to see if someone will join me in order to go after Ulissi. I did my best and could also count on the help of Bob, who worked hard and stretched the peloton in the final, but Diego was really strong and deserves our congratulations. As for me, I'm happy with my performance and the feeling I had on the climb. Let's see now what the future will bring.

 

"For now I have good legs, let's see how it goes next. Congratulations to the whole team who did a wonderful job, particularly Jungels, but also Marcel Kittel fought  so much, because he wanted to keep the jersey. In the sprint, he has proved to be the strongest and will not fail to do good things. "

"In the final I had good legs and the sprint went pretty well. It is a shame about the three that have anticipated, but you cannot have everything."

 

Astana and Vincenzo Nibali try exploit Landa’s weakness in tough Giro stage

“It was a very fast stage just from the beginning,” said Valerio Agnoli. “And it came after the rest day. I cost an extra effort.

 

"The team has raced well following the tactic decided by our sports directors and we have protected our captain Vincenzo Nibali until the final climb.”

 

"It was the first day of great heat, a long race with a very choppy finale,” commented sport director Paolo Slongo. “But we were always involved in the decisive moments.

 

"The team worked with intelligence and our GC riders - Nibali and Fuglsang - arrived in top positions.”

 

“It wasn’t premeditated, but we saw in that moment that Landa wasn’t in the front group anymore so we accelerated a bit. But really it was a question of staying in front and stretching out the group, we weren’t really trying anything,” sports director Giuseppe Martinelli told Cyclingnews after the finish.

 

“It was a difficult stage and it was hot too, and that can be tougher when it’s only the first few days of the race. But today wasn’t a real test for Landa. We didn’t manage to gain any time and he managed to save himself without problems. So I wouldn’t be thinking about what happened on the stage today, I’d be looking to tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.”

 

Ilnur Zakarin: My plan was just to follow the others

The flat roads of the Netherlands are well behind the peloton of the 99th Giro d’Italia now as Tuesday’s stage 4 returned to Italy for the remainder of the first grand tour of the season. The climbs near the end of the 200 km stage from Catanzaro to Praia a Mare brought some gaps on the finish line, but Team KATUSHA’s GC hopeful Ilnur Zakarin was attentive to the action and up to the challenge of the day, finishing seventh on the day at six-seconds, on the same time as his overall competitors.

 

“Today was a stage we just had to stay concentrated and follow the others. I did not plan to be active, just to see what happens and to try to be always near the other GC contenders. I felt good, and I think it was a good stage for me and the team. We passed it without problems, and the team was always nearby to support me. It was our first stage in Italy and all the important things in this race are still ahead,” said team leader Ilnur Zakarin.

 

Zakarin is now 11th at 39-seconds after four days of racing.

 

Team KATUSHA for the third time in a row won the stage team’s classification.

 

Strong Esteban Chaves proves his form in first hard Giro d’Italia test

Colombian Esteban Chaves of ORICA-GreenEDGE made the final selection on stage four of the Giro d’Italia today to finish amongst the other race favourites as attacks began to fly on the final climbs of the day.

 

General classification hope Chaves was part of the ultimate attacks on the the first stage in Italy that was also the first to include categorised climbs in this year’s race. With the last 30kilometres of the stage peppered with short sharp hills, the contenders for the overall classification began to flex their muscles as the sprinters fell out of the back of the peloton.

 

Chaves finished ninth on the stage and moves into tenth position overall on the provisional general classification going into tomorrow's stage five.

 

Sport director Matt White was pleased with how the team performed and the good condition of the squad.

 

“Super happy with the team performance today,” said White. “Esteban (Chaves) showed the kind of form and condition he is in by making that important group that formed the final selection towards the end of the stage.

 

“The top ten is already taking shape with the favourites starting to get up there. It’s normal that everyone marks everyone else closely and nobody wants to let anything go or leave any chances so it’s really good to see Esteban up there at the front.”

 

“We looked at the parcours beforehand and knew that it wouldn’t suit the sprinters,” explained White. “The climbs were difficult and close to the finish, although Luka (Mezgec) did a great job and made it into the second group of chasers who nearly caught the leaders on the line.

 

“Tomorrow’s stage includes around 3,000m elevation on the climbs but with the last one coming 40kilometres from the finish it could prove to be an interesting day.”

 

Mikel Landa: It wasn’t my best day

Mikel Landa rose to the occasion on a tough fourth stage at the Giro d'Italia, while Nicolas Roche moved into the top 10 overall.

 

The race resumed on Italian soil with a 200-kilometre test that proved much more challenging than many anticipated, with less than 30 riders coming home in the lead peloton.

 

Team Sky were able to place numbers in an elite and vastly-reduced front group, with Roche, Landa and David Lopez all finishing in prime positions in Praia a Mare.

 

Roche sprinted to 10th on the stage, and the select nature of the group meant the Irishman jumped up the general classification to ninth overall, 37 seconds behind returning race leader Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin).

 

Landa crossed the line in 20th, surrounded by his main rivals and elevated himself to 16th overall, 47 seconds off pink.

 

Sebastian Henao also worked hard to monitor late moves alongside Lopez and finished in the second group on the road, flanked by team-mate Ian Boswell.

 

Back on the team bus, Sport Director Dario Cioni admitted the stage had been tougher than anticipated but was pleased with the way his riders had risen to the challenge.

 

He told us: "It was a very fast stage. Nippo [Vini Fantini] weren't happy with the composition of that early breakaway so they chased for a long time - I think the average speed for the first hour was around 50km/h.  It was also very warm and the last 75km were pretty difficult. It's always hard for riders after a rest day as well, so all those factors combined to make it more selective than we expected.

 

"When the attacks started it was good to always have someone up the road. Sebastian and David got themselves into that front group and we kept David there as we didn't know if it would stay away. In the end only Ulissi survived and he did a really good ride to get his win.

 

"Back in the peloton, Nico and Mikel rode well and made it look easy when they were closing the gaps on the climbs, and then Nico did very good to get into the top 10."

 

“The teams with fast riders but no sprinters tried to blow out the sprinters by going all out on the last climbs, and it was extremely fast on that final [unclassified] ascent, particularly the last part,” Landa told Cyclingnew.

 

“I didn’t have my best day today, but I was up there with the best. I’ve got through this day and I’m ready for another.”

 

Wednesday's stage sees the riders travel 233km from Praia a Mare to Benevento and Cioni is looking forward to seeing Elia Viviani get himself back in the mix.

 

He added: "It's a long day tomorrow and it's not going to be a straightforward sprint as the final circuit is pretty tough - the road rises all the way into Benevento. We're hoping Kittel might have lost a bit of power today so if Elia is there he will definitely try again for the stage win."

 

Sold Majka stays in contention, McCarthy searches for maiden grand tour stage win

Tinkoff leader Rafal Majka crossed the line in 12th position after a hard effort on the final climbs of the day, moving himself up to 13th in the GC.

 

From the finish, Sport Director, Tristan Hoffman, explained the impact of the breaks.

 

“In the start there were a few guys in front, and the peloton took the first climb quite easy, but then next time the pressure was put on and there were splits. During this, the guys got Rafal into a good position and there was never any real problems today for us.”

 

With 35km remaining, more attacks came – with the more capable climbers using the smaller climbs towards the stage’s finish to their advantage, trying to build a gap over the peloton. This group started small, with only a couple of riders, but a chasing group of fifteen was working to bridge the gap. No sooner had these escapees been caught, when another attack of six riders went clear, with 25km remaining.

 

These last few climbs were to be pivotal in deciding the stage’s outcome, as Hoffman explained from the finish.

 

“From 25km to go the roads were really tricky, so it was great to see Jay in the break there as the racing was full gas. That allowed Rafal to stay well positioned behind as the group thinned.”

 With 13.5km to go, on the short, fast descent before the final climb, the speeds rapidly increased and the attacking group, which saw Jay McCarthy at the front, increasing their gap on the peloton. With the Maglia Rosa losing time, the GC riders came to the front of the chasing group, ready to start their campaigns, and Rafal Majka was one such rider. Finishing 12th on the stage, and six seconds after the solo stage winner, the Tinkoff leader moved up to 13th on the GC after a strong ride.

 

Jay McCarthy gave his thoughts on the stage after returning to the team bus.

 

"I’m happy that I got across to the move but also a bit disappointed that I couldn’t follow Ulissi when he went and to go for the stage – but overall I’m pleased that I was there for the team and that I had my chance to go for the stage victory. It was probably one of the warmest days since I’ve been in Europe – it’s the type of weather I like racing in but it was a bit of a shock to the system too!"

 

Hoffman was pleased with his team leader’s strong performance on the stage.

 

“On the final climb when the moves came, Rafal had no problems in following the leaders there. He told me that he was feeling good and easily able to move up on the climb so he’s looking in good shape. I’m quite happy that this stage is over as in the last 20km were really tricky and if you had a problem it would have been really hard to come back to the front.”

 

The stage wasn’t without is challenges however, as Hoffman explained.

 

“Jesus Hernandez had a small crash today but he was OK and finished without any problems. Now we refocus on tomorrow.”

 

Tomorrow’s stage starts in Praia a Mare – today’s finish – and takes the riders over a long, undulating 233km stage. The stage starts with the day's only categorised climb before following a rolling route for the next 150km. With a long, downhill ride to the finish, riders will have a chance to pull in any breakaways that remain out front although a small kick to the finish line may give riders a chance to surprise at the end of a long day in the saddle. Tomorrow’s strategy was still open, Hoffman explained.

 

“Stage 5 is 233km on pretty good roads but the whole day up and down so it could be a day for a breakaway or maybe another sprint but it depends on how it is raced. We will make a plan for the day and be ready again tomorrow.”

 

Strong Ag2r duo on the attack at the Giro d’Italia

Ag2r tried to go on the attack with Axel Domont and Guillaume Bonnafond.

 

Domont said:

 

"We wanted to be in the breakaway. It was a fight early in the race for the breakaway. Four riders went away and we thought it would be quiet but Nipp-Vini Fantini really rode fast to get them back. In the end we tried with Guillaume. There was no more than 30 kilometers to go and we tried to take our chance. It did not work, but we will try again in the next days. The legs are good but in the first three stages it was difficult to gauge.

 

Guillaume Bonnafond added:

 

"There was no real plan but the Giro is an aggressive race with a technical route. Astana had set a good tempo after catching the break. We ended up with two. We could perhaps have sat up a little earlier and waited for the group. This is a good day as Domenico [Pozzovivo] is regular at the Giro, he is very motivated. He made ​​big progress in the descents and positioning.”

 

Kristian Sbaragli the best of the sprinters in tough Giro d’Italia stage

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka were riding in support of Kristian Sbaragli today, in the hope that the Italian would be able to make it over the climbs in order to sprint from a small group. Sbaragli was part of the peloton and he still had Kanstantsin Siutsou, Igor Anton and Merhawi Kudus for support in the finale

 

With 10km to go, the race hit a sharp 1.5km climb and this is where Ulissi took his chance and attacked the 6 other riders he was with. The Italian got a small gap and started the final 8km descent to the line with a 30" lead over the chasing pack, which was now comprised of 25 riders. The African Team only had Siutsou in the select group with Sbaragli, Kudus and Anton chasing in the 2nd group.

 

Siutsou crossed the line as the best placed rider in 15th as a disappointed Sbaragli came in just 30 seconds later. By finishing 2nd, Dumoulin took over the race leaders pink jersey.

 

Sports director Jens Zemke said:
 

“Our main objective was to have Kristian there for the sprint. We missed that when at 8km to go there was a small gap of maybe 30 meters between him and the front group. Igor tried to fight back with Kristian on his wheel but finally they were just a few meters behind and Ulissi won the stage. Kanstantsin was our best placed rider in 15th from a front group of 25 and in the next group was Kristian and Igor.

 

”We hoped for more than this especially with Kristian but the boys rode well. It was a really tough day with a really difficult final, always up and down and the racing was an open fire.”

 

Moreno Moser goes for the maglia rosa with strong attack in the Giro d’Italia

On the final climb of the day, Moreno Moser put in a big attack in pursuit of taking over the Maglia Rosa but was absorbed by a very ambitious chase group. Rigo Uran, Cannondale’s Giro leader, and Davide Formolo, Uran's right hand man, finished in the first chase group right behind stage winner Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) in Praia a Mare. Uran, the top finisher on the day in 16th, now sits in 12th on the general classification with Moser 21st and Formolo 22nd.

 

"I attacked on the last climb maybe too early, but the break was there. I didn’t know the climb was so hard. At the top of the climb I dropped a little bit, and I finished in the second group with Cardoso. It was a good stage. Rigo and Formolo finished in the first group,” he said.

 

“I gave it a go but in truth I didn’t feel great, I woke up feeling a bid bad. I tried to go early with 40km and later. I could have waited and done better, but that’s racing. I want to thank team for giving me a chance.

 

“This was a good test for the team and we showed we were united and worked well together. Rigo wants to win the Giro d’Italia and he’s on form, so am I. Who knows, perhaps there will be more chances for me later in the race.

 

“I’m a Moser and so there’s pressure on me but I try not to be effected by it. The media talked about me being the fourth generation Moser to wear pink but I try to take something positive from it.

 

Broken pedal destroys great race for Sonny Colbrelli at the Giro d’Italia

For Bardiani, Nicola Boem was one of the protagonists of the early breakaway together with Rosskopf (Bmc), Mohoric (Lampre) and Brandle (IAM). The peloton let the four riders go, but the maximum gap achieved was around 3”. Boem had the chance to win the first KoM, taking precious points to wear the “azzurra” jersey at the finish, but in view of the second KoM, the peloton decided to force the pace and to catch the escapees. Stefano Pirazzi decided to attack to be sure that the KoM jersey would be worn by a Bardiani-CSF rider, but Cunego (Nippo-Fantini) followed him and took the same points as Boem, taking the KoM leadership due to a better position in the general classification. 

 

In the finale, full of short and steep climbs, the peloton was selected by continuous attacks, including one from Pirazzi. The veteran and Bongiorno, who did a great job to lead the small front group, tried to put Colbrelli in the best position to sprint but he suffered a mechanical in the battle for fourth.

 

“We tried to do something today and split the peloton with 30km to go. They the guys worked for me. Pirazzi got away once and then they tried to set me up for the sprint. Unfortunately my pedal broke and that put an end to my chances.

 

“I think we all suffered in the heat today on the climbs. We always need time to get going and that was the case today.”

 

BMC: Nippo-Vini Fantini’s tactic was bizarre

Stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia, the first stage on Italian soil, saw Joey Rosskopf make a four-rider breakaway after 15 kilometers of racing.

 

Rather than be allowed to establish a decent gap, the breakaway was kept on a tight leash by the Nippo- Vini Fantini team, which saw the gap go out to three minutes, come right back to a mere 15 seconds, and then back out to three minutes,

 

The breakaway was caught with 50 kilometers to go and attacks came from all directions, before Diego Ulissi (Lampre Merida) made the winning attack in the final 10 kilometers.

 

Joey Rosskopf said:

 

“When you get in a breakaway you always hope for a situation where teams are either fighting not to work or let you get a big gap and that definitely didn’t happen today. They really made us work for it. So that’s not really what you want to see because we came to back to around 15 seconds of the group after only 60 kilometers, and then had to work to get it back up.

 

“But that was my goal today, it’s not like I just found myself in the breakaway by accident. So it’s nice to be able to set out a goal and make it happen like that. I felt good all day. It was also a chance to go for the KOM jersey but that didn’t happen because we were caught so early, but I was feeling good enough to go for that. So now we’ll see what happens, maybe try another day to get in the breakaway.”

 

Max Sciandri, Sports Director, added:

 

“It was a bit bizarre to see a small team like Nippo-Vini Fantini working so hard to try and close the gap between the breakaway and the peloton. The stage would have had a totally different outcome had this not happened. But in the process it became a very hard stage for everyone with a really high pace. The guys covered 50 kilometers in the first hour of racing which says it all really.

 

“The plan was always to have Joey in the breakaway and that happened. Then we had a couple of guys in mind for the final but when we got to the final part of the race we realized that it was probably harder than we originally thought. Alessandro De Marchi was on the attack and was trying to test his legs a bit to see where he is. That’s the way we have to race to get results here.”

 

Ryder Hesjedal: It’s frustrating to lose time when you have good legs

The 2016 Giro d'Italia's first race on home soil wreaked havoc on the peloton with the final 25 kilometers of the 200-kilometer stage on narrow, twisty roads that were a constant up and down.

 

The last climb arrived 10 kilometers from home and the steep 18 percent gradient exploded the 11-man leading group as well as the pursuing peloton.

 

Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) proved the strongest of the leaders and soloed to the win while the sharp wall further shattered a decimated peloton to leave a skeleton group of 25 riders that arrived six seconds later.

 

Ryder Hesjedal was the first across the line for Trek-Segafredo, arriving with the second group in 42nd place and ceding over 30 seconds to his GC rivals. Hesjedal was frustrated when a few riders allowed a gap to open on the final climb and caused him to lose contact with the front group, but the race is still in its infant days and, as Hesjedal knows well, the final week is where the Canadian is the strongest and where the major differences are made.

 

"It was fast all day, and definitely in the last 80k or so it was full-on with shorter, complicated climbs," explained Hesjedal. "Even on the last climb I was right there and I could see the front and just in the last couple of switchbacks before getting onto the highway a bunch of guys let the wheels go and then all of a sudden no one wanted to help [close it]. I was a bit isolated and a few seconds at the top turned into 35 in seven kilometers. That's the frustrating part, but what can you do?

 

"It was a complicated stage near the end. But I feel that we rode well and did everything right and then still at the end to still lose time eats at you a little bit more. But, the race is long so you can't get too worried about it. If I have the legs I know I can have in the second half of the Giro, then today won't matter. And if I don't have the legs I know I can have, well... today won't matter."

 

Giacomo Nizzolo arrived in a group moments after Hesjedal, an effort that just fell short in a stage that proved too difficult in the end.  Tomorrow continues with another long and lumpy parcours and another chance for the Italian sprinter who can also get over the climbs. 

 

"We were told it was a hard stage but good for the sprinters that can climb," said director Adriano Baffi after the race that turned out to be harder than expected. "But at the end it was so hard and fast and if you see on the finish line, it was all the climbers and GC contenders. 

 

"Ryder was unlucky and he was disappointed after the stage. We may have lost a small battle, but the war is still on; his condition is there and he did not lose the time for that. It was for sure not the best day we can have and it did not go as we had planned, but the good thing is that Ryder feels good, and Giacomo looked very good today – he tried, and he showed his condition is there. We need to be optimists for the next races; all our objectives have not changed."

 

"You don't want to lose time ever, but you have to realize the race is long and it can definitely be worse," mused Hesjedal. "It was worse the last two years at this stage of the race, but it's more frustrating when you know that you have good legs. But this is also the plus side knowing that I feel good, especially when compared to a couple of weeks ago." 

 

Damiano Cunego takes the mountains jersey at the Giro d’Italia

The #OrangeBlue leader of Nippo-Vini Fantini, Damiano Cunego, is back on the Giro d’Italia podium, 12 years after his last time on podium in 2004.

On the second GPM of the day, Damiano Cunego made the action that gave him the chance to be at the top of San Pietro in first place first.

 

Cunego is happy with his action and promises that it is just the beginning.

 

“I’m happy with this action, I feel good. It’s a pity not to have stayed in the final group after many small actions of many riders. Finally Ulissi made the right and strong one. I’m happy with the emotion of being again on podium in Giro d’Italia even though we are just in the real beginning. It is great to wear the blue jersey of king of the mountain. The last time I wore it was in 2004 and it had another color. Later I won a lot around the world, but I didn’t get the opportunity to be on the podium again.

 

“Everything has changed since the 2004, but not the emotion to be on podium in this wonderful race. My big thank is for my teammates, for the DS Giuliani who strongly believes in me, and for Francesco Pelosi, the general manager that makes me feel as an important part of this project since the beginning. This is a good way to start this Giro, but it is only the very beginning.

 

"My objective is to try and get a result, to try and get a stage win. I had a go and I had this chance to take some GPM points and hopefully a jersey. It went really well today. It’s not easy to defend the blue jersey but I’ll give it a try. I’m still looking for a stage win.

 

"It’s made me feel a lot better about things. I’ll try to look after it and try to keep it."

 

Nippo-Vini Fantini director after strange tactic: I wanted to send a signal to my team

Stefano Giuliani is happy with the jersey, but also sends a message to the team:

 

“I see the eyes of Damiano Cunego and he is happy, so am I. We would have like to wear it with Berlato in the last two stages, finally we got it with Damiano Cunego.

 

“In the beginning of the race, some didn’t like our action, and I want to say sorry to my colleagues. It was not an action to catch the escape because of who where there, but it was a signal I sent to my team that didn’t do what I asked in the morning meeting. We are in a top level competition like the Giro and we have to honor this invitation day by day.”

 

Tim Wellens laments missed opportunity in the Giro d’Italia

At about 30 kilometres from the finish, several riders accelerated in the peloton, so a large front group was formed. Tim Wellens was part of it and gave a strong impression. On the final uncategorized climb, Diego Ulissi decided to attack in the front of the race. Tim Wellens and the other escapees were caught.

 

Tim Wellens said:

 

“We knew beforehand that it wouldn’t be a sprint stage so we had to come up with another tactic. We decided that I would position myself in the front of the peloton during the final 50 kilometres. If a few good riders would try to get away, I would join them.

 

”At a bit more than 30 kilometres from the finish several strong riders accelerated and I followed. The original front group of about twenty riders was reduced to seven at the beginning of the final climb. I felt really good during the stage, but at 500 metres from the summit I was unable to follow the rest of the front group. That was a pity, especially because the winner of the stage was part of that group.

 

”This stage was an opportunity to obtain a nice result, unfortunately it didn’t turn out well. There will be other stages in this Giro where I’ll be able to show myself, but now I’m a bit disappointed with this missed chance.”

 

Matthias Brändle after first attack: I will get more chances later

“I’ll get another chance to try to show what I can do,” Matthias Brändle predicted when he arrived at the end of the stage at the team bus.  “I am satisfied with how I feel, but the heat and the general topography of the stage were not to my advantage.”

 

Brändle, the former holder of the world hour record, did manage to bridge a gap of one minute to an established breakaway of three riders early in the stage. 

 

“The legs were good, and I put in a little alone time before making the connection to the front three.  We got along well together.  Unfortunately, and oddly, the Nippo-Fantini team chased us hard from behind for a long time.  The gap was cut to below 45 seconds in spite of all our best efforts. Then the peloton just controlled us, giving us a little more than four minutes of rope before pulling us back shortly before the first real climb of the 2016 Giro.”

 

Matthias Brändle, along with Boem, Mohoric and Rosskopf, was at the head of the stage for over 130 kilometers.

 

Heinrich Haussler, at the end of the third stage, admitted that after reading the race guide for the stage, he had ideas of his own.

 

“I was not as good as I had been in the two stages in the Netherlands.  With the heat and the accelerations required for the climbs, I quickly realized this was not going to be my day.”

 

Kjell Carlström, one of the directeur sportifs for the Swiss professional team along with Mario Chiesa, praised Matthias Brändle when faced with assessing the day’s events. 

 

“Matthias worked well with his breakaway companions, but the Nippo-Fantini team sounded the charge from the pack for some reason.  In any case, there are no regrets.  The stage was much harder than predicted, especially the final.  The climbs were followed by aggressive descents to the finish.  There was not a flat meter.  And as we often say, tomorrow is another day.”

 

FDJ captain Alexandre Geniez abandons the Giro d’Italia with wrist injury

His crash on Sunday in the Netherlands with four of his teammates had made him lose time but a more insidious injury was the consequence. A sharp pain in the wrist forced Alexandre Geniez to abandon during this fourth stage ridden in the extreme south of Italy. His dream of a new top 10 at the Giro is over.

 

"Alex had hurt the wrist in his crash,” says FDJ sports director Martial Gayant. “And our treatment was not enough to erase the pain. He was even more vivid during this stage and analgesics did not really have an effect. This stage was sinuous, it kept going up and down and Alex could not go downhill, unable to grip his handlebars. He started with low morale and he abandoned. It's a shame for him and it's a shame for us. Now we will therefore focus on stages with Arnaud Démare.  

 

"This morning we said that Arnaud Démare could survive both climbs but it would be hard if there was a real race and there was quite a race. Arnaud did a beautiful stage and held on for long. That proves that he has good legs. Tomorrow’ stage to Benevento is long (233 km) and should end in a mass sprint.  Kittel is strong but Arnaud is in a good mood and can make the race.”