Despite the presence of Rémy Rochas and Davide Villella in the breakaway at the beginning of the stage, the Cofidis riders did not manage to keep up with the best on the final climb of Mount Etna. Guillaume Martin (30th) finished 4:08 behind the winner.
These are difficult days to get through, because of the intense effort and the need to surpass oneself without seeing the expected result. After three stages in Hungary and a day dedicated to the long transfer to Sicily, this 4th stage between Avola and Etna was particularly demanding.
Rochas and Villella made an attempt
The first part of the plan determined at the briefing was successful. "We wanted to put one or more riders in the breakaway, especially since they had a chance to go all the way," said Gorka Gerrikagoitia, one of the team managers. So, while the attacks multiplied at the beginning of the stage, Rémy Rochas and Davide Villella managed to get into the breakaway with about 15 riders. They had a lead of almost 12 minutes before the peloton increased the pace.
At the bottom of Mount Etna, everything had to be changed. Valiant, Rémy and Davide did not manage to follow the tempo. Next to the leaders, Guillaume Martin did not manage to keep the pace either. At the finish line, he crossed in 30th position, 4 min 08 sec behind the winner of the day, Lennard Kamna.
Now 29th in the overall classification, 4 min 06 sec behind the pink jersey, Guillaume will have to find some energy and determination to try to shine in the next few days. Tomorrow, between Catania and Messina around 100 km from the finish line, there will be one difficult climb to battle - the Portella Mandrazzi. The sprinters who succeed to resist will be able to compete for the second time in this Giro, and this is a new opportunity for Simone Consonni to shine.
