After an initial explanation between leaders which led to the surprise takeover of Javier Romo (Movistar) the day before, the 4th stage of Santos Tour Down Under looked undecided this Friday between Glenelg in Victor Harbor. With the climb of Nettle Hill (1.9 km at 8.1% average) located 20 kilometers from the finish, several race scenarios were in fact possible, and it is the most probable of them which finally produced, namely an almost massive sprint. Despite a lively finale which notably got the better of the best sprinter Sam Welsford (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), left behind, a strong peloton of 80 units presented itself for the victory in the final straight, and it was Bryan Coquard who was the fastest by a whisker in front Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) !
Video – Summary of the 4th stage of the Santos Tour Down Under
And 2 for Coquard in Australia!
Already a winner at Willunga in the sprint two years ago for his very first WorldTour victory, the Frenchman from You trust recalled that he really liked Australia with this second success acquired after a superb sprint, despite a fall at the very start of the stage. Emerging at the head of the peloton at 200 meters to throw from afar, the French sprinter then resisted on the right of the road, along the barriers, as the German returned Phil Bauhaus. Neck and neck in the last meters, the two men concluded their duel with a bicycle throw which proved favorable to the native of Saint-Nazaire, which is launching its 2025 season and that of the team of Cedric Vasseur.
Pithie 4th then downgraded, Narvaez grabs bonuses
Behind them, Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), initially 4th then finally downgraded for having settled Henri Uhlig (Alpecin-Deceuninck) against the barriers. The Ecuadorian champion takes advantage to slip onto the podium and grab four precious bonus seconds, coming back to 4″ behind the leader Javier Romo to the general. Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) narrowly entered the top 10 of the day following the downgrading of Laurence Pithie.
Santos Tour Down Under – Ranking of the 4th stage
Santos Tour Down Under – Provisional general classification after the 4th stage
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