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Giro d'Italia: Tim Wellens wins Stage 4, Rohan Dennis keeps leadtim_wellens_wins_giro_ditalia_2018_stage_4.jpg

Giro d'Italia: Tim Wellens wins Stage 4, Rohan Dennis keeps lead

Chris Froome off the pace on frantic finale as racing resumes on Sicily
by Simon_MacMichael
Tue, May 08, 2018 18:10
0

Tim Wellens of Lotto-Fix All has won Stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia in Caltagirone this afternoon as the race resumed on Sicily following the three-day Big Start in Israel.

BMC Racing’s Rohan Dennis retains the race lead by 1 second from defending champion Tom Dumoulin of Team Sunweb, with Mitchelton-Scott’s British rider Simon Yates, fourth today, moving up to third overall, 17 seconds off the lead.

Team Sky’s Chris Froome, who is targeting a third consecutive Grand Tour victory after winning last year’s Tour de France and Vuelta – the case relating to his adverse analytical finding for twice the permitted level of the anti-asthma drug salbutamol is ongoing – struggled on the final 800-meetre ascent and lost 27 seconds today.

A frantic finale had been predicted for the end of the 202-kilometre stage from Catania, and it didn’t disappoint with Wellens talking the win following the tough final climb from EF Education First-Drapac’s Michael Woods second and Enrico Battaglin of LottoNL-Jumbo third.

After taking the second Giro d’Italia stage win of his career, Wellens said: “I was lucky enough to have very strong teammates. So I started with a bit of an advantage at the beginning of the climb. I didn't have to go full-on from the bottom; I could wait for the last 200 metres.

“I'm very happy with winning as early as on Stage 4 so the rest of the Giro will just be a bonus, whatever comes next. I'll ride stress free now.”

Dennis said: “It's been hectic with a lot of corners and a lot of public in the finale. It was a question of staying out of trouble from the last 10 kilometres until the bottom of the last climb. It's pretty common that I've lost the leader's jersey after one day in other Grand Tours.

“To retain the maglia rosa today is big for me.”

Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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