Netflix’s ‘Tour de France Unchained’ editors will seemingly have to hunt drama away from the Ineos Grenadiers bus this July after the race’s first go to to the excessive mountains appeared to settle any potential questions over crew management on day 4.
The not too long ago launched sequence appeared to painting Tom Pidcock defying crew orders final summer time as teammate Carlos Rodríguez fought for the rostrum within the second week of the Tour de France.
This yr, the race’s first high-mountain go to has seemingly launched the Spaniard again into the position of undisputed GC chief on the British squad after he rolled throughout the stage 4 end line in Valloire in sixth place.
The 23-year-old shed 37 seconds to new chief Tadej Pogačar (plus one other 18 bonus seconds). Simply over two minutes later, his teammates Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas rolled throughout the road, whereas Pidcock completed in 56th place, just below 12 minutes down.
“Ultimately, we sort of saved the day,” Rodríguez stated after the stage. “I felt good within the last climb. I used to be in a position to be shut to the remainder of the GC guys so I am comfortable.
“Sixth on the end line is not a nasty end result. For positive we had been aiming for higher, however step-by-step and day-by-day, hopefully, we’ll be higher.”
Pogačar’s UAE Staff Emirates squad set an infernal tempo on the ultimate climb of the 140km stage, the hors catégorie Col du Galibier, shedding riders left and proper because the likes of Tim Wellens, João Almeida, and Juan Ayuso. The ensuing group was shorn of Pidcock, who let go 26km from the road, six from the highest, after which, 3km later, of Bernal, too.
Rodríguez was Ineos’ sole survivor up entrance, joined within the lead by Pogačar and two teammates in Juan Ayuso and João Almeida, plus Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič, and Soudal-QuickStep duo Remco Evenepoel and Mikel Landa.
On the prime of the Galibier, after Pogačar had bolted clear, rushing away to the stage, yellow and a hefty time acquire, Rodríguez caught it out within the chase alongside Roglič and Ayuso. The pair would gather a spooked Evenepoel on the lengthy descent to the end earlier than catching Vingegaard 4km from Valloire.
Rodríguez stated later that the stage will not be the toughest he or his GC rivals will encounter on the Tour however added that he wasn’t stunned that UAE Staff Emirates determined to go all-out, even at this early stage.
“Ultimately, it was the primary mountain day,” he stated. “As we speak and the [other day] are sort of ‘simpler’ days.
“It is by no means simple right here within the Tour, however the profile is just not that arduous, so for positive, they had been going to full and check out the legs.”
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