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2019 Vuelta a Pais Vasco: Stage 4 Results

  • Ron 

Today saw the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Pais Vasco, a 163,6 km-long route commencing in Vitoria-Gasteiz. On the menu today were four categorised climbs, including the first category ascent to Bikotz Gane. This was followed by a rapid descent and another climb before a downhill run into the finish town of Arrigorriaga.

At the start of the race, the peloton set a relatively high tempo and it took around one hour of racing until a seven-man group was able to distance itself. The peloton never gave the breakaway an advantage of more than four minutes.

BORA – hansgrohe was always visible at the head of the peloton, with Pawel Poljanski and Cesare Benedetti being particularly active during this period of racing protecting the lead of Max Schachmann. In the steep ascent to Bikotz Gane the breakaway group then split. At the last intermediate sprint, Patrick Konrad, third in the general classification, took valuable bonus seconds. Mitchelton-Scott then took over the pace setting in the field, but rain and fog made the chase after the two remaining escapees increasingly difficult, and with 12 km remaining, a duo was still riding at the head of the field.

Then, a few kilometres ahead of the finish line, several riders were involved in a crash on the wet roads, however BORA – hansgrohe was able to avoid hitting the deck. A group of four riders, including Max Schachmann, attacked in the last 3 km and raced up the uphill stretch to the finish. In the finishing straight, Schachmann proved himself to the best strongest and crossed the finish line first in sovereign fashion. With this win, he further extended his lead in the general classification, and also defended his points jersey and the youth jersey. His teammate Patrick Konrad is now second in the overall standings, while Emanuel Buchmann was able to defend his sixth place. Thanks to these results, the team also leads the team classification.

“I don’t really know what to say. It’s my third win here and I’ll need some time to process this,” said Schachmann after the stage. “The weather conditions were very bad today, even worse than predicted. It was relatively cold and it rained continuously. In the end, I was exhausted, but I was really motivated to win today. I was in a perfect position in the finishing straight, and was able to sprint across the line first. Tomorrow it will be a hard stage, but we will of course do our best to net a good result.”

Pogacar, who led the quartet for most of the descent, could not hold off Schachmann’s charge. However, he held on for second place.

“It was a hectic stage, with the rain and the cold making everything more complicated” Pogacar said. “Our team raced very well, managing to ride all day long in the first part of the group. Thanks to the work of my companions I was able to save energy that was very useful in the difficult final. Six kilometres from the finish, I was involved in a crash, but I was able to get up immediately and return to the group, retaining the brilliance necessary to attack in view of the top of the last climb. I gave my best to try to win, but Schachmann was too strong”.

Stage 4 Brief Results:

  1. Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe) at 4h03’55”
  2. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) s.t.
  3. Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) at 1″

General Classification After Stage 4:

  1. Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-hansgrohe) at 12h38’16”
  2. Patrick Konrad (Bora-hansgrohe) 51″
  3. Ion Izagirre (Astana) 52″
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