Tour of the Alps 2024: Solo triumph Carr in Queen Stage, López still leader

foto: Cor VosSimon Carr initiates the breakaway on the first climb of the day. He drops his last companion Sergio Higuita on the Passo del Vetriolo to solo to victory. Juan Pedro López stays in the lead of the general classification. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 4th stage 2024 Tour of the Alps

1. Simon Carr (gbr)
2. Michael Storer (aus) + 1.19
3. Ben O’Connor (aus) s.t.
4. Wout Poels (nld) + 1.22
5. Valentin Paret-Peintre (fra) s.t.
6. Antonio Tiberi (ita) s.t.
7. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
8. Juan Peder López (spa) s.t.
9. Giulio Pellizzari (ita) + 2.19
10. Georg Steinhauser (ger) s.t.

GC after 4th stage
1. Juan Pedro López (ita)
2. Ben O’Connor (aus) + 0.38
3. Antonio Tiberi (ita) + 0.48
4. Wout Poels (nld) s.t.
5. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
6. Valentin Paret-Peintre (fra) s.t.
7. Michael Storer (aus) + 1.40
8. Giulio Pellizzari (ita) + 1.54
9. Iván Sosa (col) + 2.52
10. Davide Piganzoli (ita) + 2.58

Race report
Simon Carr jumps clear on the first climb of the day and he is joined by Hugh Carthy, Davide Piganzoli and Sergio Higuita before Óscar Rodríguez, Gregor Mühlberger, Lucas Hamilton, Gijs Leemreize, Mikel Bizkarra, Mattia Bais and Luca Covilli also make it across. The eleven open up a maximum lead of 3 minutes.

Higuita attacks 4 kilometres before the summit of the Passo del Compet. Carr and Piganzoli track him down before the young Italian is dropped by Carr and Higuita.

The duo crests the Compet Pass 1.45 minutes ahead of the peloton.

Carr distances Higuita on the Passo del Vetriolo, while Ben O’Connor attacks from the GC group. Antonio Tiberi, Wout Poels, Romain Bardet and leader Juan Pedro López follow his move. Iván Sosa, Michael Storer and Chris Harper also make it across before Poels escapes. O’Connor and Tiberi track the Dutchman down, while López returns on a false flat section. They gobble up Higuita.

Carr reaches the summit 1 minute ahead of the chasers, where Harper, Sosa, Storer and Bardet regained contact.

First Harper and then O’Connor attack on descent. They both hit the deck. O’Connor continues, Harper is forced to abandon.

The crashes break the chase and the lead of Carr widens to 3 minutes. Several riders make it back into the chase group. Among them Valentin Paret-Peintre, and he heads out alone on the Col San Marco. The Frenchman opens up a 40 seconds gap, which is almost vaporised at the summit. López, Poels, Tiberi and Bardet regain contact early on descent, while O’Connor and Storer track them down later.

In the meantime, Carr solos to victory before O’Connor and Storer sneak away from the GC group in the final kilometres. O’Connor finishes in third to take back 7 seconds on López, who stays in the GC lead with a margin of 38 seconds.

Another interesting read: route 4th stage 2024 Tour of the Alps.