Tirreno-Adriatico 2018 Stage 4: Landa wins Queen Stage, Caruso new leader

The Queen Stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico takes in a string of intermediate hills to end with a 13.1 kilometres closing climb at 7.1% to the Sassotetto ski resort. Chris Froome is dropped in the finale, while leader Geraint Thomas loses time due to a mechanical. Mikel Landa wins ahead of Rafal Majka and George Bennett. Damiano Caruso moves into the overall and Thomas drops to fifth place. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 4th stage 2018 Tirreno-Adriatico

1. Mikel Landa (spa)
2. Rafal Majka (pol) s.t.
3. George Bennett (nzl) s.t.
4. Fabio Aru (ita) + 0.06
5. Ben Hermans (bel) s.t.
6. Tiesj Benoot (bel) s.t.
7. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
8. Wilco Kelderman (nld) s.t.
9. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
10. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.

11. Michel Kwiatkowski (pol) s.t.
16. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 0.26
20. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 0.40

GC after 4th stage
1. Damiano Caruso (ita)
2. Michal Kwiatkowski (pol) + 0.01
3. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 0.11
4. Mikel Landa (spa) + 0.20
5. Geraint Thomas (gbr) s.t.
6. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.31
7. George Bennett (nzl) + 0.33
8. Davide Formolo (ita) + 0.34
9. Tiesj Benoot (bel) + 0.36
10. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 0.41

12. Fabio Aru (ita) + 0.45
13. Romain Bardet (fra) + 0.50
14. Adam Yates (gbr) s.t.
15. Chris Froome (gbr) + 0.59
16. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 1.01

Race report
KOM-leader Nicola Bagioli, Jacopo Mosca, Krists Neilands, Aleksandr Vlasov, Mads Pedersen and Antoine Duchesne form the break of the day. The six put 7 minutes into the peloton, while Tom Dumoulin abandons after a crash.

As was to be expected, Bagioli collects most KOM points underway.

At the foot of the closing climb the advantage of the leaders is down to 2 minutes. With 8 kms remaining Neilands and Vlasov are the last escapees to be reeled in.

Bob Jungels is dropped with 6 kms to go and moments later Miguel Ángel López jumps of the front. Fabio Aru and Rafal Majka bridge across. Ben Hermans hooks on, too.

With 3 kms to go Landa speeds up to leave the GC favourites behind. He meets López along the way, who dropped back with cramp, while Froome further back can’t follow the pace.

Landa rejoins the remaining leaders and Bardet strikes with Bennett on his wheel. The New Zealander pushes on to the front of the race. Meanwhile, Thomas is struck by a mechanical problem. Froome tries him back but to no avail.

Landa counter-attacks when Bennett charges and the Spaniard brings home his first victory for Movistar. Majka comes in second, Bennett in third.

Caruso and Kelderman finish in the main group, 6 seconds down on the winner, and they move into first and second place overall. Stage winner Landa now sits in third, equal on time with former leader Thomas.