Tirreno-Adriatico stage 4: Cummings solos to victory in Foligno
Stybar continues in race lead
Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data) went from team player to stage winner after a strong ride into Foligno on stage 4 of Tirreno-Adriatico. Cummings attacked his escape group inside the final three kilometres and soloed to the line to take victory ahead of Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky) and his teammate Natnael Berhane.
“We were trying to do a stage for Edvald Boasson Hagen, we thought that he was the best chance for today. He’s in super form, so I was there as the policeman but it came to 3km and normally I can do 3km alone. I tried to do that strategy. I don’t know if that was ok but it seemed to work out,” Cummings said before collecting his prize for stage winner.
“I was pretty confident and pretty aero on the bike. Everybody else had been pulling and I hadn’t been pulling. It was good having Edvald behind because it meant that I didn’t have to do any work. It was a great team performance and I was just lucky at the end.”
After chasing down several attacks in the final 20 kilometres to keep his teammate Edvald Boasson Hagen in contention, Cummings found himself in the race-winning move. It had been instigated by Matteo Montaguti (AG2R La Mondiale) at the foot of the final climb, and the Dimension Data rider quickly joined along with Puccio. With his teammate still behind, Cummings was able to sit on the bunch, refusing to budge despite insistence from Puccio.
The pace was high in the bunch and it took time for them to build any sort of advantage. Before they were too far up the road, three more riders joined them, and they were Berhane, Jan Bakelants (AG2R La Mondiale) and Daniel Moreno (Movistar). As Puccio did most of the work, Cummings laid in wait for the perfect moment.
A strong time triallist, Cummings knew that he could hold a quick pace over the three kilometres remaining. The 34-year-old was able to take advantage of the indecision behind, with nobody willing to step forward and bring him back. Cummings continued to build his advantage and would eventually cross the line 13 seconds ahead of the chasers, plenty of time to enjoy his celebration.
Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-QuickStep) finished in the main group and kept hold of his race lead ahead of Damiano Caruso (BMC Racing).
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How it happened
There was a lot of tension at the start of the fourth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, with wind and rain predicted out on course. For the second stage running, Stybar would begin the day in the leader’s blue jersey, and Etixx-QuickStep would be drafted in to do most of the work on the front of the peloton.
At 222km, it would be the longest stage of the race and four riders made their escape early on. The fantastic four were Ricardo Vilela (Caja Rural), Valerio Conti (Lampre-Merida), Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18) and Francesco Bongiorno (Bardiani CSF) and they quickly built a lead of over five minutes. With a headwind to contend with, the peloton took it easy in the opening half of the stage, riding about 20 minutes behind the slowest predicted schedule.
The action didn’t pick up until the first climb of the day was in sight when Etixx-QuickStep and Tony Martin took huge chunks out of the lead. By the time they reached the finishing circuits and the first ascent of the Montefalco, it had dropped to below two minutes. Sensing the danger, Conti was the first of the escapees to break rank, charging away with three kilometres to the top of the Montefalco. Bongiorno was the only rider who could stick with him initially, but he too fell by the wayside.
Conti was left to forge on alone, taking the mountains points at the top. Behind him, several teams pitched in with help, including Andrey Amador of Movistar and Fabian Cancellara for Trek-Segafredo. The high pace saw most of the sprinters dropped pretty quickly, as the group dwindled drastically. Cancellara put on a monster turn on the run-into the final climb, which would eventually end Conti’s hopes close to the point he made his bid for freedom.
After Cancellara pulled off, the damage already done, the small, select group still contained the likes Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Boasson Hagen. Puccio brought the peloton over the top of the final climb before Montaguti launched his first of many attacks on the descent. In what would become a familiar sight, Puccio found his move shut down by Cummings.
There was little or no control in the bunch and attacks began flying from all quarters, Sagan even had one of his own, but that was deemed too dangerous. The key move was finally made with just five kilometres remaining, initiated by Montaguti and was eventually followed by Puccio and Cummings. The group swelled to six when Berhane, Bakelants and Moreno made it over.
Puccio ended up doing most of the work, with a little help from Montaguti. He expressed his frustrations with Cummings, who said thanks but no thanks, thinking about his teammate Boasson Hagen behind. However, the peloton didn’t come back to them, and Cummings decided to go it alone, knowing that he wouldn’t have the speed in a sprint. His move proved to be the right one, and he rode to the finish on his own.
Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data | 6:04:49 |
2 | Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky | 0:00:13 |
3 | Natnael Berhane (Eri) Dimension Data | |
4 | Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team | |
5 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
6 | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:16 |
7 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team | 0:00:25 |
8 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
9 | Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
10 | Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
11 | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky | |
12 | Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM Cycling | |
13 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data | |
14 | Paul Voss (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | |
15 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team | |
16 | Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | |
17 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - Merida | |
18 | Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
19 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team | |
20 | Jack Bauer (NZl) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
21 | José Gonçalves (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
22 | Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Orica-GreenEdge | |
23 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
24 | Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
25 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
26 | Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky | |
27 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
28 | Adam Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge | |
29 | Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
30 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
31 | Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
32 | Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
33 | Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
34 | Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
35 | Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ | |
36 | Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky | |
37 | Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) FDJ | |
38 | Jaime Roson Garcia (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
39 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff Team | |
40 | Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | |
41 | Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha | |
42 | Rodolfo Andres Torres Agudelo (Col) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | |
43 | Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team | |
44 | Jean-Christophe Péraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
45 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek-Segafredo | |
46 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 0:01:16 |
47 | Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling | 0:02:05 |
48 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling | |
49 | Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team | |
50 | Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team | |
51 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
52 | Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
53 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
54 | Davide Formolo (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
55 | Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal | |
56 | Rigoberto Urán (Col) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
57 | Víctor de la Parte (Spa) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
58 | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | |
59 | Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ | |
60 | Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 18 | |
61 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | |
62 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre - Merida | |
63 | Fernando Gaviria (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
64 | Sergei Chernetckii (Rus) Team Katusha | |
65 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
66 | Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
67 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team | |
68 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge | 0:04:33 |
69 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
70 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
71 | Jan Barta (Cze) Bora-Argon 18 | |
72 | Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Lotto Soudal | |
73 | Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
74 | Leszek Plucinski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
75 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
76 | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
77 | Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Dimension Data | |
78 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data | |
79 | Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | |
80 | Lluís Guillermo Mas Bonet (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
81 | Steve Morabito (Swi) FDJ | |
82 | Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky | |
83 | Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | |
84 | Jürgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
85 | Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
86 | Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 0:06:15 |
87 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek-Segafredo | |
88 | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Dimension Data | |
89 | Angel Madrazo (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
90 | Stef Clement (Ned) IAM Cycling | |
91 | Joaquim Rodríguez Oliver (Spa) Team Katusha | |
92 | Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
93 | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff Team | |
94 | Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Team Katusha | |
95 | Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
96 | Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky | |
97 | Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Trek-Segafredo | |
98 | Maxim Belkov (Rus) Team Katusha | |
99 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
100 | Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha | |
101 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
102 | Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
103 | Nikolay Mihaylov (Bul) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
104 | Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
105 | Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
106 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
107 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff Team | |
108 | Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale | |
109 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ | |
110 | Pello Bilbao (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
111 | Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
112 | Domingos André Maciel Gonçalves (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
113 | Timo Roosen (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
114 | Davide Villella (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
115 | Tom Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
116 | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky | |
117 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 0:06:20 |
118 | Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | 0:10:11 |
119 | Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | 0:10:27 |
120 | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre - Merida | |
121 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff Team | 0:11:34 |
122 | Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre - Merida | |
123 | Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team | |
124 | Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
125 | Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Lampre - Merida | |
126 | Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
127 | Davide Viganò (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | |
128 | Andrey Amador Bikkazakova (Crc) Movistar Team | |
129 | Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre - Merida | |
130 | Jesse Sergent (NZl) AG2R La Mondiale | |
131 | Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge | |
132 | Leigh Howard (Aus) IAM Cycling | 0:11:45 |
133 | Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling | |
134 | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling | |
135 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | |
136 | William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ | |
137 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ | |
138 | Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team | |
139 | Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
140 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Argon 18 | |
141 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
142 | Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | |
143 | Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
144 | Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
145 | Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
146 | Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
147 | Federico Zurlo (Ita) Lampre - Merida | |
148 | Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | |
149 | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data | |
150 | Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18 | |
151 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data | |
152 | Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
153 | Marco Bandiera (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | |
154 | Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team | |
155 | Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
156 | Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre - Merida | |
157 | Carter Jones (USA) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
158 | Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | |
159 | Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-GreenEdge | |
160 | Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team | |
161 | Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
162 | Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team | |
163 | Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
164 | Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
165 | Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
166 | Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team | |
167 | Eros Capecchi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
168 | Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff Team | 0:19:55 |
169 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky | |
170 | Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx - Quick-Step | 0:19:57 |
171 | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
172 | Ricardo Vilela (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
173 | Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Team | |
174 | Francesco Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
175 | Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
176 | Giorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | |
177 | Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | 0:20:44 |
178 | Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge | |
179 | Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 0:21:04 |
DNF | Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Argon 18 | 18 | pts |
2 | Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre - Merida | 3 | |
3 | Francesco Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 2 | |
4 | Ricardo Vilela (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Valerio Conti (Ita) Lampre - Merida | 5 | pts |
2 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Argon 18 | 18 | |
3 | Francesco Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 2 | |
4 | Ricardo Vilela (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Andrey Amador Bikkazakova (Crc) Movistar Team | 5 | pts |
2 | Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team | 3 | |
3 | Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team | 2 | |
4 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 |