News: Giro Stage 4

Crashfest at end of stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia sees Richard Carapaz win but Dumoulin loses time as do many GC favourites including Simon Yates

News: Giro Stage 2

Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team) claimed an unexpected stage victory on stage 4 of the 102nd Giro d’Italia that looked tailor-made for punchy sprinters in Frascati.

Pic: @giroditalia

Two crashes made it a dramatic finale with Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo-Visma) being the only GC top favourite in the six-man front group at the end. The Slovenian extended his overall lead to 35 seconds over Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), 39 seconds over Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and 44 seconds over Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team). Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) was the main victim of the crashes. He crossed the line with a deficit of 4.04.

Tom Dumoulin explained what happened: “Puccio from Ineos crashed, I think he touched a wheel or something and he took me and Izaguirre with him. I was in the front of the bunch and just couldn’t avoid it. There are no fractures which is good but my knee is very swollen”.

“I wasn’t able to push any power in the last few kilometres so I don’t know how I will be tomorrow; the GC is for sure gone.”

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His team coach Marc Reef added: “Everything went well today until Tom and Chad crashed with six or seven kilometres to go. Tom hit his knee pretty bad and had to change bikes and the team waited up for him. He couldn’t push anymore because of his knee and lost just over four minutes by the end of the stage. He is with the doctor again after his x-ray, and we will have to wait and see what the outcome will be before tomorrow.”

The stage finale also saw Britain’s 2018 Vuelta a Espana champion Simon Yates lose time. Yates fell victim to a second crash, on a roundabout with around six kilometres remaining. The 26-year-old remounted and chased hard, limiting the damage to just 16 seconds from race leader Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo Visma), who was the only general classification rider to avoid mishap.

Simon Yates: (Michelton Scott) “Everyone was fighting for position on a roundabout with about six kilometres to go and a rider has slid out in front of me. It was no one’s fault, it was just in the fight for position and these things happen. I got up quickly and I had the guys around me to limit the losses.”

“I’ve hit my knee and hip, just on the left hand side, but I’m OK. We’ll see how I pull up tomorrow, it’s always worse in the morning, but the Giro is long. We just try to stay safe, that’s what everyone is trying to do. Crashes are a part of our sport.”

Second placed Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) “The three-rider breakaway was a perfect situation. They were granted quite an advantage but that wasn’t really a problem due to the 235 kilometres long stage. We know it would be a hectic finale but we stayed at the front almost all day. I heard some riders crashing behind me. That way, I was part of around twenty riders at the front. The goal was to start the final two kilometres at the front, which also succeeded. The group was reduced step by step and Tosh kept me in the perfect position.”

“I saw Carapaz go at 500 metres from the line but at first, it was Team UAE that set the pace. With 300 metres to go I launched my sprint but eventually, I wasn’t able to pass him anymore. Today I once again proved that such finishes really suit me. As a sprinter, it is really hard to battle against better climbers like Ulissi, Roglič and Carapaz.”

“Of course, I am disappointed because you not often get a chance to win a Grand Tour stage. Sunday I finished third, today second. Tomorrow, there’s a flat stage and I am convinced that I can once again battle for victory. It is only a pity that I wasn’t able to seize this opportunity. As a team we did great and unfortunately, that didn’t result in a win.”

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The stage winner Richard Carapaz said in the press conference: “The truth is it was a complicated end of a long stage with hills and the stress generated a crash. I found myself in a small group at the end. I didn’t bother about Primoz Roglic. I just looked for the right distance from the finish to fight for the win. I’m emotional and delighted that it worked out. Today’s result doesn’t change anything inside our team. There is a lot of mountain to come and Mikel Landa remains our leader.”

The Maglia Rosa Primoz Roglic said in the press conference: “We did a nice job again with the team. It’s good to gain some time but I don’t know if it’s because of the crash. We all want to stay safe. I didn’t see any crash so I guess I was at the front, fighting and trying to avoid any unnecessary mishaps. I try to concentrate on the bike for the whole stage. We all do mistakes. It’s bad if someone’s mistake makes someone else crash.”

FINAL RESULT
1 – Richard Carapaz (Movistar Team) – 235km in 5h58’17”, average speed 39.354km/h
2 – Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) s.t.
3 – Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.

JERSEYS
Maglia Rosa (pink), general classification leader, sponsored by Enel – Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo – Visma)
Maglia Ciclamino (cyclamen), sprinter classification leader, sponsored by Segafredo – Pascal Ackermann (Bora – Hansgrohe)
Maglia Azzurra (blue), King of the Mountains classification leader, sponsored by Banca Mediolanum – Giulio Ciccone (Trek – Segafredo)
Maglia Bianca (white), young rider general classification leader, sponsored by Eurospin – Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Pro Team)

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Primoz Roglic Team Jumbo – Visma
2. Simon Yates Mitchelton – Scott + 35
3. Vincenzo Nibali Bahrain – Merida + 39
4. Miguel Angel Lopez Astana Pro Team + 44
5. Diego Ulissi UAE Team Emirates + 44
6. Rafal Majka Bora – Hansgrohe + 49
7. Bauke Mollema Trek – Segafredo + 55
8. Damiano Caruso Bahrain – Merida + 56
9. Bob Jungels Deceuninck – Quick Step + 01:02
10. Davide Formolo Bora – Hansgrohe + 01:06

13. Hugh Carthy EF Education First + 01:16
22. Mikel Landa Movistar Team + 01:49
30. Tao Geoghegan Hart Team Ineos + 02:19
56. Tom Dumoulin Team Sunweb + 04:30
131. James Knox Deceuninck – Quick Step + 15:48
156. Scott Davies Team Dimension Data + 26:55

STAGE 5
Stage 5 – Frascati-Terracina 140km – total elevation 1,200m
The mostly flat Stage 5 route starts downhill and finishes along the Tyrrhenian coast, with just a short climb 50km before the finish. In the central part of the route, the roadway is narrow and very worn out in places. The end of the stage is raced on wide and well-paved fast roads.