Czech Tour: Junior Lecerf takes dramatic overall win as late Cian Uijtdebroeks attack fades in final metres of stage 4

Just as Junior Lecerf (Soudal-QuickStep) appeared to have lost the Czech Tour overall on the final climb, the rider who was set to snatch victory from him at the last, Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike), completely faded, handing the win back to Lecerf in a dramatic finale.

Uijtdebroeks had stormed away from the race leader on the final climb to Pustevny, building a lead close to 20 seconds and holding it into the final kilometre. But his legs began to fail as the finish approached, and he was caught by the Lecerf-led chase group just metres before the line.

Jannis Peter (Vorarlberg) surprised the group of favourites to win the final stage with a breathless grind to the line, with Uijtdebroeks taking second on the final day, and Lecerf finishing third, able to put his arms in the air knowing overall victory was secure.

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This was Lecerf's career-first GC victory, with an eventual winning margin of seven seconds to Uijtdebroeks and eight seconds to Alessandro Fancellu (Team UKYO) in third.

“It was really hard, but I always believed in myself. When things began heating up, I tried to stay in the wheel of Cian, but at one point I had some difficulties, and decided to go at my own pace in order not to explode, making sure I could always see him," said Lecerf.

"In the last 500 meters, as we were making inroads into that gap, I used a bit the slipstream of the others and gave everything I had, and managed to finish on the podium and take the GC win. I am happy I will take home the yellow jersey. It’s been a great week for us and it will be a race I will always remember."

The 179km stage 4 delivered the expected GC showdown atop the punchy Pustevny climb, the second summit finish of the stage race.

After around 70km of racing on the final stage of the Czech Tour, heading out of Kroměříž to Pustevny, a 12-man group got away ahead of the first lap up what would be the finishing climb to Pustevny to form the breakaway. They had a four-minute lead with just under 100km remaining.

It was made up of stage 3 winner Liam Walsh, Cameron Scott (CCACHE x BODYWRAP), Nicolò Garibbo (UKYO), Šimon Vaníček (ATT Investments), Michal Schuran (United Shipping), Michael Boroš (Elkov-Kasper), Patryk Stosz (Voster ATS), Loïc Bettendorff (Hrinkow Advarics), Michiel van Vliet, Viego Tijssen (Metec - SOLARWATT p/b Mantel), Ondřej Pokorný (TUFO-Pardus Prostějov) and Dominik Amann (Vorarlberg).

On the first of two ascents of the Pustevny (5.5km at 7.5%), two riders dropped the front group, while the escapees’ advantage shrank from a maximum of four minutes to hover around the 2-minute mark inside of 50km to go.

Visma Lease a Bike, working for Cian Uijtdebroeks, put two riders at the front of the peloton to control the gap and to put pressure on race leader Junior Lecerf (Soudal-Quickstep).

Not liking the cooperation in the break, Walsh attacked solo with 41km to go, and quickly built a small gap to his former break companions. Bettendorf and Van Vliet gave chase and ultimately bridged up to the Australian, but with bonus seconds on offer at the finish, their fate was sealed.

The trio was reeled back inside of 7km to go with the peloton driving to the bottom of the final climb.

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