Tour of Britain – Stage 4

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Michal Kwiatkowski is the fourth Yellow jersey in four days as he wins the climb into Bristol for Omega Pharma Quickstep

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Tour of Britain – Stage 4

STAGE 1  | STAGE 2  | STAGE 3  | STAGE 4  | STAGE 5  | STAGE 6  | STAGE 7  | STAGE 8

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A searingly fast finish from Michal Kwiatkowski saw him become the fourth Friends Life Yellow Jersey of the 2014 race, as the Pole won the Worcester to Bristol leg of the race.

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The Omega Pharma Quick-Step rider took an imperious stage win on the Clifton Downs with a victory that seemingly makes him the man to beat for the overall title at the 2014 Friends Life Tour of Britain.

Starting the day in second place in the Friends Life General Classification, 13 seconds behind Tumble winner Edoardo Zardini, Kwiatkowski appeared on the start line at Worcester in his speedline skin suit. He wanted the stage win and he wanted the ten second time bonus even though it was by no means certain how the testing 185km run from Worcester through Worcestershire and Gloucestershire was going to play out.

For a long while it appeared that the remnants of an eight man break might stay away and mop up the bonus seconds but as the peloton gathered pace down the wide open Portway along the Avon Gorge and swung onto the SKODA King of the Mountains climb of Bridge Valley Road they quickly cut into the two minute advantage which had set the GC riders on red alert.

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Jack Bauer and Albert Timmer though were alert to the threat and attacked hard up the short but fierce Category 2 climb up and for a long while looked set to take the honours in Bristol. Only Nicolas Roche and eventually Kwiatkowski started to chase but with just 250 metres to go it still seemed possible that Bauer, the New Zealander and Timmer, from the Netherlands, might stay away but fatally the slowed little to consider their finishing options.

Kwiatkowski, 24, was already travelling at extreme pace around a sweeping right hand bend – it is just possible the leading duo didn’t see him – and as he shot by it suddenly seemed like everybody else was back pedalling. Timmer hung on for second, and the day’s Rouleur Combativity Award, while a fast finishing Dylan Teuns nipped in for third place in front of a tiring Bauer, moving him up to third overall.

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It was a hugely impressive finish by the fast emerging Polish rider who on this form should be a contender for the World Championship Road Race in Spain later this month on a course that would appear well suited to his particular talent.

“It might have looked like I came from nowhere right at the end but we really worked for the win,” said a delighted Kwiatowski who also earned a fine second place during Tuesday’s summit finish on the Tumble. “It was not a ‘classic’ sprint and I certainly didn’t expect such a hard climb at the end.

“The attack form Nicolas Roche was really impressive which I followed and I don’t think the two leaders thought we would catch them. I went into the last corner with nobody on my wheel and I was very happy to finish like that. There was some amazing work form my team especially Niki Terpstra and Julien Vermote to close the gap. That was not an easy thing. We took the responsibility for the chase.

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Omega Pharma Quickstep were given a lot of the work along with Bernie Eisel and one or two from other teams like IAM.

“The climb was very important. We didn’t really know when the end was coming! I kept pushing and pushing and when I saw the last 1-kilometre sign I remembered that the finish was much flatter so there was still a chance to sprint. What made it difficult today is that you started the climb from nothing because you have that 180 degree turn at the bottom. You take no speed into the climb which is why it was so important to stay out up in the front.”

The Friends Life General Classification situation now sees Kwiatkowski lead Zardini by three seconds with Teuns and Roche at 14 second, Movistar Team’s Ion Izagirre at 23 seconds and reigning champion Bradley Wiggins now 27 second behind in sixth position. Although there are three demanding stages before the final day in London the short 8.8k time-trial on Sunday morning is beginning to loom large.

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Sylvain Chavanel has a wheel change with a teammate as a mechanic comes a running in time to push him away

“I don’t really know what my time trialling form is like,” insists Kwiatkowski who earlier this year won the Prologue at Tour of Romandie and the individual time trial at the Tour of Algarve. “This is only my second race back from my long break after the Tour de France. I can time trial well but this is pretty short and I don’t know if I am ready for that.

“We will see. I should be ready because we at Omega have the team time trial at the World Championships which we are preparing for. I normally like short time-trials but I don’t know how technical the course is in London. We must look. I like them to be technical as possible.”

The GC loser on the day would appear to have been Wiggins having allowed the dangerous Kwiatkowski to open up a lead that even the Olympic Time Trial champions might not be able to claw back on Sunday, especially on such a short quickfire route where the non-specialists are much more at home.

“It was not the perfect day for us,” admitted DS Nicolas Portal. “We had hoped for a different scenario. We always expected guys like Chavanel and Kwiatkowski would attack, and gain some time.

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Ben Swift wins the bunch sprint but still lost the Points jersey to Kwiatkowski

“With three kilometres to go, with that hairpin turn before the climb, our plan was to get there in the first 15. Before the turn it was nearly perfect, but Brad suddenly got lost just before it, so Ben Swift had to do a strong effort to bring him back up. But then there were lots of attacks.

“Brad is a good time triallist, but so is Kwiatkowski. We will try to get some bonus seconds back. But there is going to be a big fight for stage wins, Kwiatkowski and Chavanel will be there, they’re both punchy. It’s going to be exciting racing.”

Elsewhere Mark McNally of the An Post Chain Reaction team retains his lead of the SKODA King of the Mountains competition while the YodelDirect Sprints jersey moved onto the shoulders of Sebastian Lander of BMC Racing, who spent the day on the front in the breakaway.
Kwiatkowski’s win, along with fine placings in Llanduno and on the Tumble see him usurp Ben Swift in the Chain Reaction Cycles Points Jersey, while Tinkoff Saxo lead the Friends Life Team Classification.

Thursday sees Devon host its annual Friends Life Tour of Britain stage, the seventh year that the race has visited the county. Stage Five sees the riders heading from Exmouth to Exeter, via Dartmoor, including the SKODA King of the Mountains climb of Haytor, where last year’s summit finish was held.

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Mike Cumming hits the deck in the feedzone.

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Sylvain Chavanel happy at the sign in before the stage.

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Race leaves Worcester with Zardini in Yellow

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The crowds on the bridge as the race left Worcester town centre

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Tom Scully of Madison Genesis having a dig in the early stages of the fight to get in the break

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Liam Holohan was another from Madison Genesis who had a good go

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Scott Thwaites of Netapp-Endura was in amongst the attackers too

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Alex Dowsett of the Endura sponsored Movistar team though started the big move only to double puncture at the latter end of the stage

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 Lasse Hansen leads a trio up to Dowsett

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Incredible ride by Raleigh’s Mark Christian who towed Kristian House up the climb to the four leaders dropping Sam Harrison who got back with another trio.

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The final three riders to make the front group including British based riders Northey (Madison Genesis) and Harrison (NFTO)

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Bardiani – CSF team car comes up to the team on the front and afterwards, only one rider remained for the chase sharing the work with other teams

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Sebastian Lander popped a wheelie (I missed it grrrr) but Alex Dowsett got the verdict in the sprint.

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Front wheel puncture for Marcin Bialoblocki of Giordana RT

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Bernie Eisel, on the front yet again, lets the peloton know they are turning left ….

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The crowds were huge all over the place today on this stage. Best day so far ….

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Zardini in yellow for a day in the Tour of Britain

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Sebastian Lander leads the Sprints competition

Stage 4 Result
1 KWIATKOWSKI Michal OPQ 04:19:09
2 TIMMER Albert GIA @ st
3 TEUNS Dylan BMC @ st
4 BAUER Jack GRS @ st
5 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Jon MOV @ st
6 ROCHE Nicolas TCS @ st
7 SWIFT Ben SKY 6
8 ZABEL Rick BMC @ st
9 COLBRELLI Sonny BAR @ st
10 CHAVANEL Sylvain IAM @ st
11 LOPEZ GARCIA David SKY @ st
12 BOULO Matthieu RAL @ st
13 BATTAGLIN Enrico BAR @ st
14 KÖNIG Leopold TNE @ st
15 VELITS Peter BMC @ st
16 NORDHAUG Lars-Petter BEL @ st
17 VAN BAARLE Dylan GRS @ st
18 JUUL JENSEN Christopher TCS @ st
19 ZARDINI Edoardo BAR @ st
20 BONGIORNO Francesco Manuel BAR @ st
21 CUMMINGS Stephen BMC @ st
22 HNIK Karel MTN @ st
23 GOLAS Michal OPQ @ st
24 DOWSETT Alex MOV @ st
25 TANKINK Bram BEL @ st
26 ISTA Kevin IAM @ st
27 PETERS Alex MGT @ st
28 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao GBR @ st
29 BURTON Germain GBR @ st
30 LAMPIER Steve VGR @ st
31 KONOVALOVAS Ignatas MTN @ st
32 HANDLEY Richard RCS @ st
33 SUTHERLAND Rory TCS @ st
34 WIGGINS Bradley SKY @ st
35 CAVENDISH Mark OPQ @ st
36 BARTA Jan TNE @ st
37 WYNANTS Maarten BEL @ st
38 REICHENBACH Sébastien IAM @ st
39 DEKKER Thomas GRS @ st
40 HENAO GOMEZ Sebastian SKY 25
41 BOL Jetse BEL @ st
42 FARRAR Tyler GRS @ st
43 PINEAU Jérôme IAM @ st
44 SZMYD Sylvester MOV @ st
45 HOLOHAN Liam MGT @ st
46 VAN NIEKERK Dennis MTN @ st
47 BIALOBLOCKI Marcin VGR 42
48 @ st EWART Thomas MGT @ st
49 ATKINS George RAL @ st
50 @ st AUFF Andreas MTN @ st
51 VEELERS Tom GIA 52
52 LOZANO RIBA David TNN 01:05
53 VERSCHOOR Martijn TNN @ st
54 EDMONDSON Nathan VGR 01:20
55 PARTRIDGE Robert VGR @ st
56 ARCHBOLD Shane SKT @ st
57 SANZ UNZUE Enrique MOV @ st
58 VISCONTI Giovanni MOV 6
59 HANSEN Lasse Norman GRS 01:42
60 BIBBY Ian MGT 01:44
61 BLYTHE Adam NPC @ st
62 MOSES Thomas RCS @ st
63 RENSHAW Mark OPQ @ st
64 APPLEBY Dale NPC @ st
65 O’SHEA Glen SKT @ st
66 BRANDLE Matthias IAM 01:48
67 HAUSSLER Heinrich IAM @ st
68 MCLAY Daniel GBR 01:56
69 JIM Songezo MTN 02:03
70 KNEISKY Morgan RAL @ st
71 DOULL Owain SKT @ st
72 SCULLY Thomas MGT 02:06
73 KOHLER Martin BMC 02:36
74 VOSS Paul TNE 02:44
75 VERMOTE Julien OPQ @ st
76 GIRDLESTONE Dylan GRS 03:07
77 LASTRAS GARCIA Pablo MOV 03:22
78 EISEL Bernhard SKY @ st
79 @ st AMSNIJDER Tom GIA @ st
80 FLENS Rick BEL @ st
81 MCNALLY Mark SKT @ st
82 DE BACKER Bert GIA 03:26
83 SCHORN Daniel TNE @ st
84 HOUSE Kristian RCS @ st
85 LANDER Sebastian BMC @ st
86 KITTEL Marcel GIA @ st
87 GERDEMANN Linus MTN @ st
88 NORTHEY Michael James MGT @ st
89 CHRISTIAN Mark RAL 03:29
90 THWAITES Scott TNE 6
91 TERPSTRA Niki OPQ 04:34
92 HARRISON Samuel NPC 04:35
93 MOULD Jonathan NPC @ st
94 PERON Andrea TNN 04:55
95 BOARO Manuele TCS @ st
96 TRUSOV Nikolay TCS @ st
97 BARKER Yanto RAL 06:09
98 BENNETT Sam TNE 06:56
99 MEGIAS LEAL Javier TNN 07:52
100 LOWSLEY WILLIAMS James NPC 18:02
101 HENTTALA Joonas TNN @ st
102 PIECHELE Andrea BAR @ st
103 LAWLESS Christopher GBR @ st
104 PLANET Charles TNN @ st
105 MARKUS Barry BEL @ st
106 WILSON Jack SKT @ st
107 LATHAM Christopher GBR @ st
108 RUFFONI Nicola BAR @ st
109 GULDHAMMER Rasmus TCS @ st
110 MORGAN Bradley VGR @ st
111 MULLEN Ryan SKT @ st
112 OPIE Chris RCS @ st
113 MOSS James VGR @ st
114 HUNT Joshua NPC @ st
115 WILKINSON Ian RAL @ st

Overall

1 KWIATKOWSKI Michal OPQ 15:49:33
2 ZARDINI Edoardo BAR 3
3 TEUNS Dylan BMC 14
4 ROCHE Nicolas TCS @ st
5 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Jon MOV 23
6 WIGGINS Bradley SKY 27
7 LOPEZ GARCIA David SKY @ st
8 KÖNIG Leopold TNE 29
9 REICHENBACH Sébastien IAM @ st
10 VISCONTI Giovanni MOV 40
11 CHAVANEL Sylvain IAM 45
12 VAN BAARLE Dylan GRS 48
13 BAUER Jack GRS 54
14 LAMPIER Steve VGR 58
15 BARTA Jan TNE 01:00
16 JUUL JENSEN Christopher TCS 01:03
17 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao GBR @ st
18 BONGIORNO Francesco Manuel BAR 01:05
19 SUTHERLAND Rory TCS 01:10
20 PETERS Alex MGT 01:13
21 HNIK Karel MTN 01:14
22 DOWSETT Alex MOV 01:25
23 BOULO Matthieu RAL 01:26
24 HANDLEY Richard RCS 01:28
25 TANKINK Bram BEL 01:31
26 GOLAS Michal OPQ @ st
27 ZABEL Rick BMC 01:41
28 KONOVALOVAS Ignatas MTN @ st
29 NORDHAUG Lars-Petter BEL 01:51
30 HOLOHAN Liam MGT 02:08
31 SZMYD Sylvester MOV 02:23
32 SWIFT Ben SKY 02:26
33 HENAO GOMEZ Sebastian SKY 02:30
34 THWAITES Scott TNE 02:32
35 CUMMINGS Stephen BMC 02:42
36 PINEAU Jérôme IAM 02:51
37 BRANDLE Matthias IAM 03:04
38 VAN NIEKERK Dennis MTN 03:17
39 BATTAGLIN Enrico BAR 03:53
40 DEKKER Thomas GRS @ st
41 BIALOBLOCKI Marcin VGR 04:12
42 ATKINS George RAL 04:23
43 CHRISTIAN Mark RAL 04:28
44 VOSS Paul TNE 05:10
45 WYNANTS Maarten BEL 05:32
46 GIRDLESTONE Dylan GRS 05:49
47 NORTHEY Michael James MGT 06:45
48 VELITS Peter BMC 06:49
49 APPLEBY Dale NPC 07:02
50 HOUSE Kristian RCS 07:11
51 LOZANO RIBA David TNN 07:16
52 @ st AUFF Andreas MTN 07:46
53 TERPSTRA Niki OPQ 07:53
54 LASTRAS GARCIA Pablo MOV @ st
55 KNEISKY Morgan RAL 07:54
56 @ st EWART Thomas MGT 08:04
57 VERSCHOOR Martijn TNN 08:20
58 EDMONDSON Nathan VGR 08:22
59 FARRAR Tyler GRS 08:34
60 DOULL Owain SKT 08:36
61 RENSHAW Mark OPQ 08:38
62 BLYTHE Adam NPC 08:48
63 BOL Jetse BEL 08:58
64 MOSES Thomas RCS 09:32
65 COLBRELLI Sonny BAR 09:42
66 HAUSSLER Heinrich IAM 09:57
67 TIMMER Albert GIA @ st
68 SCHORN Daniel TNE 09:59
69 MCLAY Daniel GBR 10:05
70 GERDEMANN Linus MTN 10:15
71 HANSEN Lasse Norman GRS 10:28
72 VEELERS Tom GIA 10:55
73 FLENS Rick BEL 10:57
74 CAVENDISH Mark OPQ 11:01
75 LANDER Sebastian BMC 11:19
76 SANZ UNZUE Enrique MOV 11:41
77 KOHLER Martin BMC 11:42
78 ARCHBOLD Shane SKT 11:59
79 @ st AMSNIJDER Tom GIA 12:15
80 PARTRIDGE Robert VGR 12:41
81 TRUSOV Nikolay TCS 12:52
82 SCULLY Thomas MGT 13:26
83 MEGIAS LEAL Javier TNN 13:53
84 ISTA Kevin IAM 13:57
85 VERMOTE Julien OPQ 14:28
86 KITTEL Marcel GIA 14:37
87 MCNALLY Mark SKT 14:44
88 BOARO Manuele TCS 15:27
89 PERON Andrea TNN 15:29
90 BIBBY Ian MGT 16:34
91 BURTON Germain GBR 16:46
92 MOULD Jonathan NPC 16:49
93 JIM Songezo MTN 17:05
94 O’SHEA Glen SKT 17:21
95 BARKER Yanto RAL 18:19
96 BENNETT Sam TNE 18:38
97 DE BACKER Bert GIA 19:12
98 MULLEN Ryan SKT 22:33
99 EISEL Bernhard SKY 23:56
100 WILKINSON Ian RAL 25:06
101 HARRISON Samuel NPC 25:31
102 OPIE Chris RCS 26:11
103 MARKUS Barry BEL 26:55
104 GULDHAMMER Rasmus TCS 27:47
105 HENTTALA Joonas TNN @ st
106 MORGAN Bradley VGR 28:18
107 RUFFONI Nicola BAR 28:35
108 MOSS James VGR 29:23
109 LATHAM Christopher GBR 31:53
110 PIECHELE Andrea BAR 33:50
111 HUNT Joshua NPC 34:42
112 LOWSLEY WILLIAMS James NPC 35:24
113 WILSON Jack SKT 38:06
114 LAWLESS Christopher GBR 40:32
115 PLANET Charles TNN 43:31

POINTS: KWIATKOWSKI Michal OPQ
TEAM: Tinkoff-Saxo

 

SPRINTS

Evesham – km 54.9
1 DOWSETT Alex GBR MOV 3
2 LANDER Sebastian DEN BMC 2
3 HOUSE Kristian GBR RCS 1

Broadway – km 66.7
1 LANDER Sebastian DEN BMC 3
2 DOWSETT Alex GBR MOV 2
3 HANSEN Lasse Norman DEN GRS 1

Rangeworthy – km 154.7
1 LANDER Sebastian DEN BMC 3
2 HANSEN Lasse Norman DEN GRS 2
3 HOUSE Kristian GBR RCS 1

OVERALL
1 LANDER Sebastian DEN BMC 16
2 COLBRELLI Sonny ITA BAR 9
3 DOWSETT Alex GBR MOV 8
4 HANSEN Lasse Norman DEN GRS 7
5 BOARO Manuele ITA TCS 7
6 MOULD Jonathan GBR NPC 6
7 BIBBY Ian GBR MGT 4
8 LAWLESS Christopher GBR GBR 4
9 HANDLEY Richard GBR RCS 3
10 HOUSE Kristian GBR RCS 2
11 VERSCHOOR Martijn NED TNN 2
12 STEWART Thomas GBR MGT 1
13 SCULLY Thomas NZL MGT 1
14 MCNALLY Mark GBR SKT 1

KOM

Wyche Cutting – km 13.8
1 TIMMER Albert NED GIA 6
2 DOWSETT Alex GBR MOV 5
3 CHRISTIAN Mark GBR RAL 4
4 VELITS Peter SVK BMC 3
5 HANSEN Lasse Norman DEN GRS 2
6 HOUSE Kristian GBR RCS 1

Snowshill – km 70.3
1 LANDER Sebastian DEN BMC 4
2 HOUSE Kristian GBR RCS 3
3 HARRISON Samuel GBR NPC 2
4 TIMMER Albert NED GIA 1

Bridge Valley Road – km 182.6
1 TIMMER Albert NED GIA 6
2 BAUER Jack NZL GRS 5
3 ROCHE Nicolas IRL TCS 4
4 VELITS Peter SVK BMC 3
5 KWIATKOWSKI Michal POL OPQ 2
6 LAMPIER Steve GBR VGR 1

OVERALL
1 2 MCNALLY Mark GBR SKT 35
2 KWIATKOWSKI Michal POL OPQ 15
3 BOARO Manuele ITA TCS 14
4 ROCHE Nicolas IRL TCS 14
5 TIMMER Albert NED GIA 13
6 ZARDINI Edoardo ITA BAR 10
7 BAUER Jack NZL GRS 10
8 HANSEN Lasse Norman DEN GRS 10
9 BIBBY Ian GBR MGT 10
10 HANDLEY Richard GBR RCS 9
11 LANDER Sebastian DEN BMC 8
12 STEWART Thomas GBR MGT 8
13 TEUNS Dylan BEL BMC 7
14 WIGGINS Bradley GBR SKY 7
15 CHAVANEL Sylvain FRA IAM 6
16 VELITS Peter SVK BMC 6
17 VISCONTI Giovanni ITA MOV 5
18 DOWSETT Alex GBR MOV 5
19 COLBRELLI Sonny ITA BAR 5
20 LAWLESS Christopher GBR GBR 5
21 LOPEZ GARCIA David ESP SKY 4
22 KÖNIG Leopold CZE TNE 4
23 CHRISTIAN Mark GBR RAL 4
24 HOUSE Kristian GBR RCS 4
25 LASTRAS GARCIA Pablo ESP MOV 4
26 MOULD Jonathan GBR NPC 4
27 REICHENBACH Sébastien SUI IAM 3
28 PARTRIDGE Robert GBR VGR 3
29 IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Jon ESP MOV 2
30 HARRISON Samuel GBR NPC 2
31 LAMPIER Steve GBR VGR 1
32 BARKER Yanto GBR RAL 1

 

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