photo credits @ Itzulia
João Almeida claimed stage 4 of the Itzulia Basque Country today, which saw the Portuguese rider solo to victory on the climb of the Izua, after surging clear with some 13 kilometers to go before descending into Markina-Xemein.
Earlier, the opening kilometers were marked by a flurry of attacks in the peloton as riders vied to form the breakaway, with Thibault Guernalec, Juri Hollman, Mauro Schmid and Julian Alaphilippe opening up a 25-second gap on the peloton before being reined in on the climb to Asentzio.
On the next climb of the Muniketagane pass, the quartet was joined by seven more riders containing the likes of Marc Soler, Andrea Bagioli, Quinn Simmons, Léo Bisiaux, Finn Fisher-Black, Ben Healy, Alex Baudin, Txomin Juaristi, Mauro Schmid, Ander Okamika and Sepp Kuss.
However, the Bahrain Victorious controlled peloton team managed to keep the gap to the breakaway in check., allowing the escapees only a modest advantage of around two minutes.
As the race neared its final 20 kilometers, Cofidis pushed ahead, with Alex Aranburu looking to secure another stage win. With the gap to the breakaway narrowing, all the teams increased their tempo to ensure they were well-placed for the final climb.
The breakaway was eventually neutralized with two kilometers remaining before the climb. The favorites fought for position as they approached the final ascent. The 20% gradients kicked in just as the Bahrain Victorious team increased the pace.
For the time being, the favorites in the general classification kept their cards close to their chest. Santiago Buitrago set his own pace and gained a few meters.
From there, the riders formed a single line, with Schachmann bringing up the rear, while Almeida attempted to make his move, raising the tempo of the group.
Halfway up the climb, the favorites started to distance themselves from the rest of the field. At that point, Almeida held the virtual lead in the race, before executing his winning move.
Just behind, a trio consisting of Aranburu, Florian Lipowitz and Clément Champoussin pursued.
However, Almeida maintained his lead along the descent, claiming both the stage victory and the yellow jersey, while his teammates Isaac del Toro and Schachmann finished almost half a minute behind.
