For the third consecutive year, Tom Pidcock, another of the multidisciplinary stars of cycling together with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, he did not miss his appointment with the victories. It is only the third of his record, but the Briton had never shone at this point in the season: his others wins came in april (Brabanzon Arrow) and july (Tour de France). Demonstrating his enormous explosiveness, the Ineos runner interfered in the particular ‘party’ that the UAE is experiencing this week, with full of victories in the Tour of Andalusia, to overcome João Almeida in the final meters of the ascent to Malhao and he took the lead in the Tour of the Algarve with the last stage to go.
The fourth day of the Portuguese race had a leg-breaking route, with the decisive double step to malhao in the last kilometres. On his first ascent, 30 km from the finish line, he jumped Remi Cavagna from the group of favorites, looking for one of his classic rides from afar. She quickly joined him. kobe ​​goossens and they got a lead of slightly more than 30 seconds, however, the UAE began to control from behind. Neutralized with less than 10 km to go, everything would be resolved in a final ascent in which he could not be in contention Thymen Arensman, one of the favourites, due to a puncture in his front wheel. The race was going very fast and he said goodbye to his options.
Already in Malhao, Jai Hindley was the first brave man to try his luck. Water. Pidcock decided to counterattack and took with him Higuita, Van Wilder and Onley. The Colombian was the first to give up, totally off the point, and when everything seemed to be a matter of three (since the then leader, Magnus Cort, was way behind), Almeida came up from behind in a flash, showing off his classic diesel engine. Pidcock had the final change of pace… However, the moral winners of the day were the time trialists, who managed to resist without excessive losses and this Sunday the title will be played in the final time trial. Filippo Ganna (at 31″) and the current world champion of the specialty, Tobias Foss (32″), start as top favorites.
Results 4th stage
1º Tom Pidcock (Ineos) – 4h 28:39
2nd João Almeida (UAE) – at 1″
3rd Ilan van Wilder (Quick-Step) – 5″
General of the 49th Tour of the Algarve
1º Tom Pidcock (Ineos) – 7:30 p.m.
2nd Ilan van Wilder (Quick-Step) – at 5″
3rd João Almeida (UAE) – 7″
9º Filippo Ganna (Ineos) – 31″
10th Tobias Foss (Jumbo) – 32″