Frenchman sprints against the fast men Thursday afternoon.
Stage 4 featured the first major climb of the race, the 17.2km Valico di Castelluccio, which peaked out at more than 1500 meters in the first part of the day. Another big ascent followed shortly after, before the peloton took on a long descent to the Adriatic Coast. On paper, it should have been an easy day for the bunch, but things complicated a bit due to the breakaway’s refusal to give up and the technical finale in Giulianova.
Our team brought its fair share of contribution to the chase, the relentless Josef Cerny once again moving to the front of the field, where his hard work paid dividends, by the time he peeled off the front, only 40 seconds separating them from the escapees. But in a strange turn of events, the peloton who looked in complete control briefly slowed down and the leaders began believing more in their chances.
This led to a frantic chase that was ignited with five kilometers to go, and which continued all the way until the line. Averaging 3.5% and featuring some tricky corners, the final kilometer was a hectic one, the fact that the peloton was completely disorganised behind the last survivor of the breakaway contributing to this situation. Eventually, they caught and passed him in the last 200 meters, and Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) took the win).
Julian Alaphilippe was the one who sprinted for Soudal Quick-Step in Giulianova. The two-time World Champion made a smart move under the flamme rouge, moving through the field just before a tight corner, and this allowed him to get involved in the fight for a good result, with Julian taking nine for his fourth top ten of the season in a World Tour race.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
Julian Alaphilippe 
