João Almeida put in a blistering performance in the fourth stage of the Tour de Romandie, crossing the finish line at Thyon 2000 in second place. This impressive showing propelled him to third in the overall standings. Lenny Martinez of Bahrain-Victorious claimed the stage win, out-sprinting Almeida in a fierce two-man dash to the finish line. The stage was a grueling 118-kilometer climb, culminating in a first-category mountain ascent. Martinez now wears the yellow jersey,
A Stage to Remember
The Italian Lorenzo Fortunato of Astana took third place in the stage, finishing 29 seconds behind the leaders. He sits second in the overall standings, just two seconds behind Almeida and three behind Martinez.
Almeida’s Tough Climb
Almeida expertly weeded out his competitors during the climb but couldn’t shake off Martinez. After the stage, the UAE Emirates rider shared his thoughts on the demanding final ascent. “Overall, it was good,” Almeida said. “My team did a fantastic job, controlling the stage from the start, which gave me the motivation to go all out and try to win.”
What’s Next for Almeida?
Almeida continued, “We maximized our situation. I was feeling okay, though not 100%. In the end, Martinez was stronger – congratulations to him.” This Sunday, Almeida will tackle the final 17.1-kilometer time trial in Geneva, aiming to claim the yellow jersey and the Tour de Romandie victory.
Almeida’s Game Plan
“I’ll give it everything I’ve got,” Almeida vowed. “I think Jay Vine and I have good chances in the overall standings, but we’ll need to be in top form and go all out.”