Coppi e Bartali: Alexis Guérin takes solo victory on stage 4

Alexis Guerin (Bingoal WB) won stage 4 of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali in a solo breakaway effort. From a charging group of five riders, race leader Mauro Schmid (Soudal-QuickStep) sprinted to second place while James Shaw (EF Education-EasyPost) secured third.

Johannes Staune-Mittet (Jumbo-Visma) rolled across the line in Fiorano Modenese in fourth. Domenico Pozzovivo (Israel-Premier Tech), who instigated the five-rider attack with 11km to go, was fifth and Healy sixth.

With the podium finish, Schmid held his lead in the overall classification with one day remaining. It was the third podium in four days for Schmid, who now has Shaw in his GC rear view mirror, 14 seconds back. Shaw moved one spot ahead of Walter Calzoni (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), now in third at 28 seconds, heading into Saturday’s decisive 18.6km time trial in Carpi. 

The 30-year-old Bingoal WB rider took an emotional first win of the season, last winning at the Continental level in August of 2022 at the Sazka Tour. He held the solo attack from a front group for 95 kilometres, and took the victory by just three seconds.

It was a day of attacks on Friday, the route shortened by 8.7 km with one of two local laps removed back in Fiorano Modenese, where the race started. The abbreviated race was still a demanding day of 160 kilometres and a relentless 3,200 metres of elevation gain.

After the opening 45km, a group of 17 riders comprising collage of teams had a gap of 1:48: Guerin, Luke Rowe (Ineos Grenadiers), Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan), Ben Zwiehoff (Bora-Hansgrohe), Stefan de Bod (EF Education-EasyPost), Gijs Leemreize (Jumbo-Visma), Rémi Cavagna (Soudal- QuickStep), Lawson Craddock (Team Jayco AlUla), Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Trek-Segafredo), Alex Martín (Eolo-Kometa), Alessio Martinelli (Green Project-Bardiani), Marco Frigo (Israel - Premier Tech), Aloïs Charrin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Alessandro Monaco (Team Technipes), Jhonatan Restrepo (GW Shimano-Sidermec) and Thomas Pesenti (Beltrami TSA - Tre Colli). 

From that group, and some 25km earlier, the bunch encountered the first categorised climb at Pulanello, with Zwiehoff cresting the top first, followed by Ghebreigzabhier and De Bod. They charged on with the big front group until Zwiehoff attacked at the front and was followed by Cavagna and Guerin. They opened a small gap with accelerations taking place behind. Only Guerin too his chances and moved out front alone with just under 100km to ride.

With 86km to go, Guerin had gained a 1:25 advantage over a large chasing group of 15 riders. Gallopin was the next rider to take a shot at the lone leader, closing to 27 seconds back over the next 25 km. Behind him Scaroni and Ghebreigzabhier worked together as a duo and splits formed across the second categorised climb of Sermazzoni. 

Guerin scooped up the KOM points on the 12km climb and behind Lennert Teugels (Bingoal WB) and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) had joined the chasers on the climb and took second and third-placed points, respectively.

As the riders approached the final categorised climb, Via Fazana, a 2km climb with a stiff 9.1% average gradient, the Guerin’s lead was down to 35 seconds, but he pushed it back to 1:20 with 20km to go and charging to the closing circuit. 

Team Jayco AlUla put riders at the front of the main bunch in pursuit of the Frenchman and pulled back almost a minute with 12km left to race.

The target on Guerin’s back was getting bigger as five chasers closed the gap to 15 seconds, EF Education-EasyPost taking to the front with Healy and Shaw in the chase with just under 8km to race. They were joined by race leader Schmid along with Staune-Mittet and Pozzovivo. Guerin pounded away at the front with the slim margin headed to a solo victory.

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