We missed it a bit INEOS Grenadierswe never thought we would have to say it, but from memory the last time we had seen the Grenadiers train controlling a race was at the last Giro d’Italia, when it had also sadly derailed in that fall on the eleventh stage, which was cost the femur and the season a Tao Geoghegan Hart, the same one who today we finally saw appear among the top ten in the standings in a World Tour race, but in a Lidl-Trek jersey. Today the British team once again dominated a race, the fourth stage of the Tour de Romandie 2024with the not too veiled aim of attacking the yellow jersey of Juan Ayusowhich after yesterday’s time trial was still 7″ up Ilan Van Wilder10″ up Alexander Vlasov and 11″ up Carlos Rodriguez. The latter himself had not the slightest intention of leaving his compatriot alone, with whom he had already formed an alliance two weeks ago to bring the victory of the Itzulia Basque Country to the twenty-one year old from UAE and the success in the last stage for himself ( it was the poor who paid the price Mattias Skjelmose). The old tracking greyhounds have been dusted off (Castroviejo) and new (Ethan Hayter, Magnus Sheffield, Oscar Rodríguez, Thymen Arensman), INEOS had no choice but to exploit the determination of Egan Bernalwho launched the first lunge to create difficulty Ayusoserving as a beachhead for the final blow of Carlos Rodriguez. However, it is not only under the sky of the UAE that new talents are born: if the 2001 class came fifth in the Tour de France last year and first in the stage on 14 July (the one where the two phenomena dueled most vigorously) it must mean something . Ayuso, in the match between very young players, pays only a year’s difference to his compatriot, but despite a team that couldn’t be more armored, today he was overwhelmed: they tried to help him first Pavel Sivakov and then Adam Yates, but no one was able to help him close the gap, so the white UAE today was also the color of the flag of surrender. In this train game, however, the person who celebrated the most today was another ex-INEOS, not surprisingly known as the Locomotora del Carchi, alias Richard Carapaz: the Ecuadorian had gathered the solidarity of all human beings when on Sunday on the Redoute he tried to resist Tadej Poga’s progressionisar. Today she tried to hide from the wheel again Rodriguez as the race exploded, but this time the plan succeeded, because the Spaniard didn’t need to break away from Carapaz, but rather to distance himself from Ayuso. The Olympic champion was thus able to exit the wheel cleanly Rodriguez and fly towards the finish line. The one who risks being left with nothing could be BORA-hansgrohe: also Lipowitz in fact he had remained close behind Rodriguezbut he didn’t dare attack him because he was waiting for the return of Vlasov that the general was played with the Spaniard. Wait for me while I’m waiting for you, in the end neither Vlasov managed to close the gap, nor the German, who only sprinted towards the end, managed to overtake Carapaz even though he caught him: now the one, the Russian, is second 7″ from the yellow jersey, and the other, Lipowitzthird at 9″. Tomorrow there is a final stage: even without a meter of flat terrain, there will be very little terrain to attack, and the chances of surprising this INEOS team are even less so.
Tour de Romandie 2024, the chronicle of the fourth stage
After yesterday’s time trial in Oron, the Tour de Romandie 2024 arrived today at the showdown with the fourth stage, 159.2 km from Saillon to Leysin: after the first ascent to Ovronnaz (9.1 km at 9.5%), the menu included in sequence Les Rives (9.8 km at 5.4%) and Les Giettes ( 4km at 8.5%) before the uphill finish in Leysin (14km at 6%).
After about ten kilometers they took advantage Bart Lemmen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) e Raúl García Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), later joined by Juri Hollmann (Alpecin-Deceuninck) before and since Josef Černý (Soudal Quick-Step) e Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Difesa) then: on the Ovronnaz climb these last three had to get up, not before Hollmann would still collect points to consolidate the leader’s jersey of the climbers’ classification. Godon he then tried again to get back onto the leading trio (where he had sprinted in the meantime Oliveira) together with his teammate Clément Berthet. On the Gpm of La Rasse the leading quintet regrouped before tackling the first of two consecutive ascents, that of Les Rives, which reached the top -51 km from the finish. Here Godon has again lost contact, while behind the UAE Emirates of the race leader Juan Ayuso took the lead keeping a steady pace, soon replaced by the INEOS Grenadiers of Carlos Rodriguezwhere he mainly worked Ethan Hayter. The leading group slowly crumbled and Berthet he remained alone in the lead with less than 1’30” of advantage. Both he and his pursuers (always led by INEOS) also tackled the following climb, Les Giettes, at a controlled speed, so the twenty-six year old Frenchman remained in the lead alone until the final climb towards Leysinwho started at -14, arriving with still a minute of advantage.
Ineos punishes Ayuso, Carapaz takes the victory
INEOS also controlled the pace at the beginning of the climb with the little train that has been its trademark over the years, and at the head of which it still worked Ethan Hayterthen replaced by Jonathan Castroviejo. The work of the British team slowly canceled out the advantage of Berthetresumed at just over 5 km (the inexhaustible was back in the lead again Hayter, then replaced by Thymen Arensman). When the Dutch moved, right to the-5, the attack started Egan Bernalpropitiated by the hole of Carlos Rodriguez. Juan Ayuso he was unable to get on the Colombian except with the help of his wingman Pavel Sivakov. There were about ten riders left in the lead, among whom he was missing Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ), fifth in the standings this morning: Bernal he hadn’t gotten up keeping the pace up in favor of Rodriguez. Also Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step), second in the standings this morning, tried to keep up with the best, but then had to give up -3, when he attacked in the leading group Florian Lipowitz (BORA-hansgrohe). It glued itself to his wheel Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), while in a few meters also Rodriguez he managed to close the hole. Ayuso he was clearly in difficulty, so much so that he had to follow behind Van Wilder, which went up at its own pace. From the leading group, where Rodriguez it was all over, at -2 Richard Carapaz started dry. The Ecuadorian immediately took a good lead, as the Andalusian kept a regular pace, while Lipowitz he was close behind so as not to frustrate the pursuit of Alexander Vlasov (BORA-hansgrohe), which came with it Enric Mas (Movistar). With 200m to go the German came out of the wake of Rodriguez reaching Carapaz on the finish line: however, the Olympic champion did not give up an inch and managed to maintain first position Lipowitz. Behind them, Rodriguez reached 10″, Mas And Vlasov to 14″. Egan Bernal at 27″, Van Wilder at 31″, Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek) at 40″, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) at 41″, while Juan Ayuso finished eleventh at 44″ behind Cristian Rodríguez (Arkéa-B&B Hotels).
Rodríguez in the yellow jersey, Vlasov at 7″
Carlos Rodríguez is now first overall with a 7″ lead on Vlasov and 9″ up Lipowitz. Fourth is Van Wilder with 20″ delay, while Ayuso fell to fifth place at 27″. Damiano Caruso he dropped out of the rankings after having a puncture, he is now the best Italian in the rankings Luca Vergallito (Alpecin-Deceuninck), thirtieth. Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Difesa) maintains its lead in the points classification.
Tomorrow there fifth and final fraction, with departure and arrival in Vernier, it includes 150.8 km almost entirely in a circuit of approximately 35 km to be repeated 4 times: at each round the Gpm will be faced Dardagny (1.5 km at 4.4%, max 8%). You will exit the circuit just 11 km from the finish line; before the arrival there will be one last small tear at Lancy.
