photo credits @ WTFK
Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) soloed to victory on the stage 4 summit finish of the Tour de Romandie at Thyon 2000, racing into the overall lead as well.
The British rider was given free rein to attack in the closing kilometers of the 2000-meter mountain after teammate and race leader Juan Ayuso dropped 8 kilometers from the line.
From there, Yates accelerated from an elite lead group with 4 kilometers, to go as he sought to overhaul a 12-second gap to new virtual race leader Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar).
Meanwhile, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) was the strongest man in pursuit of Yates, going solo in the chase, while Jorgenson tried to limit his losses at the head of a smaller group further back.
However, there was no catching Yates, who crossed the line 21 seconds up on Jorgenson in fifth place to take the yellow jersey ahead of Sunday’s final stage., while Pinot took second at seven seconds down, with Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) rounding out the podium at 19 seconds.
Race Highlights
Five escapees skipped clear early on in the stage, and one of them, Trek-Segafredo’s Julien Bernard, spent the day consolidating his King of the Mountain lead
The fugitives were in dribs and drabs by the foot of Thyon 2000 with the peloton 1:37 back.
It wasn’t long before Christophe Juul-Jensen was the last breakaway rider still out front, with Thomas de Gendt close behind him.
With two riders still in the breakaway, Jayco-AlUla went to the front with 12.5 kilometers to go, eventually reeling in the escapees.
Suddenly, under DSM’s impetus, there was a split in the peloton. Yates was there, as was second-place Jorgenson, with Romain Bardet later attacking with 6.6 kilometers to go.
After Yates, Jorgenson and a few others found the Frenchman again, Bardet once more tried to attack.
Yates later executed his winning move with 4 kilometers to go and forced a gap. Pinot set out after Yates with 2 kilometers of climbing still remaining. It was desperate stuff inside the red kite, but Yates hung on.
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