Tirreno-Adriatico stage 4 – Live coverage

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 4 of Tirreno-Adriatico.

Today's stage will see the riders take on the 14km long summit finish at Prati di Tivo, a pivotal point in the race.

Today's 148km stage will see the riders take on two HC climbs. First up is the Passo Campanelle (13.8km at 4.5 per cent) at 106.5km, followed by the finish at Prati di Tivo (14.7km at 7 per cent).

Yesterday's stage 3 saw another showdown between Wout Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel as the pair sprinted to the line in Gualdo Tadino.

Check out our report here.

Here's what Romain Bardet (Team DSM) had to say about today's stage...

"We can see a lot happened here already in Tirreno. The race has been very stressed at some points. So, yeah, I think, thanks to the team we have done a good race so far, but I hope the best is yet to come. It’s hard to say.

"I’m here, still waiting for what’s next so, yeah, for me I will try just to hang on with the best today. It’s my first stage race, also my first summit finish of the season. I don’t really known where my shape is at the minute. I think in the next two days I will have a really good indication."

Meanwhile, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) said the race is not all about leader Wout van Aert...

"I think today will be a full gas race, I think it’s not only one guy to look for. I think there is a big field of competitors, so it’s going to be a hard race, and in the end, I need to do a good race, good climb and we’ll see in the end what the gaps going to be and what position I’m in."

The racing is underway at the start of stage 4!

The one non-starter this morning is Manuel Belletti (Eolo-Kometa). He was caught up in the crash at the end of yesterday's stage 3.

Mattia Bais (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec) and Mads Würtz Schmidt (Israel Start-Up Nation) are on the attack in these early kilometres of the stage.

Here's what Egan Bernal had to say this morning after his time loss yesterday...

"It’ll be a nice stage with a nice climb. I’ll try to do my best because it’ll be nice to watch, so we want to put on a show. These days my back has been OK. I felt it at Strade Bianche. These stages have been hard but with no long climb. Today will be different, and it will be a good test for my back.

"We spoke about the climb this morning. It’s be hard but also really fast, so, yeah, to make a big difference you need to be really strong, so we’ll do our best, but for sure it’ll be difficult to beat these guys who have a 20-second advantage. You need to have the legs, and I don’t know if I’ll have them or not.

"Today will be a good test, but it’s not the goal number one. I’m trying just to find my condition. I’ll do my best, but it will be good training for the coming race, although if I feel good, I’ll try."

Two other riders have joined Bais and Würtz Schmidt out in the breakaway. We're hearing that Benjamin Thomas (Groupama-FDJ) is one of them.

135km to go

Qhubeka Assos also have a man up front in Emil Vinjebo.

So that's Vinjebo, Bais, Thomas and Würtz Schmidt.

A look at the jersey holders at today's start.

Davide Ballerini (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) in the purple sprint Jersey, Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in the blue leader's jersey, Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa) in the green mountain's jersey, and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in the white best young rider jersey.

The four leaders on the road currently have an advantage of 4:20 on the peloton. The break of the day is set.

We also have live coverage of the penultimate stage of Paris-Nice today. Check it out here.

129km to go

Up front, Bais, Thomas and Würtz Schmidt are out front.

Vinjebo has lost some ground and is now chasing the break along with Marco Canola (Gazprom-RusVelo), who attacked from the peloton earlier.

The pair are around 35 seconds behind the leading trio.

Caleb Ewan pulls out of Tirreno-Adriatico with stomach problems

Australian taking no risks ahead of Milan-San Remo

128km to go

No change in the race situation as of yet. The three leaders remain up front with a gap to the chasers as the peloton lie over four minutes back

Bernal and Thomas lose time ahead of Tirreno-Adriatico summit finish

Ineos Grenadiers leaders caught behind crash outside 3km mark on stage 3

110km to go

Back to today's stage and the two groups up front have come together on the valley roads north of Rieti. That's a five-man breakaway now, and they're up to six minutes up on the peloton.

Thomas is the best-placed man in the break. The Frenchman lies 43rd at 1:46, so he's the virtual leader at the moment.

How to watch Tirreno-Adriatico 2021 – live TV and streaming

Bernal, Pogacar, Van der Poel, Van Aert, Alaphilippe take on Prati di Tivo summit finish

After an hour of racing, the average speed is 40kph.

100km to go

The riders have passed into the final 100km of the day and the break now enjoys an advantage of 8:20.

The gap only seems to be growing. It's up to nine minutes now...

80km to go

The break is heading up the Sella di Corno at the moment. It's an unclassified climb which is 7.6km at 4.8 per cent. They'll start descending at 71km to go and then it's a short spell in the valley before the Passo Capannelle.

Interesting jersey rule tidbit from Dan Lloyd on Eurosport. He says that Davide Ballerini (Deceuninck-QuickStep) is in the points jersey despite only lying fourth in that classification. 

Of course, points leader Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) is in the overall leader's blue jersey, while second- and third-placed men Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) and Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) are in the Dutch and world champion's jerseys, which take precedence over the points jersey.

The gap is currently eight minutes – down a bit from the maximum earlier on.

Jumbo-Visma lead the peloton up the climb.

75km to go

It's a pretty quite time in the race. The next climb (the first classified climb of the day) will see things heat up.

20km to go at Paris-Nice as the riders take on the summit finish of Valdeblore La Colmiane. Follow the action live here.

Down the descent and into the valley. UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma control the peloton.

55km to go

A dull day so far but the riders aren't far from the Passo delle Capannelle. Not the hardest climb but hopefully we'll see some action there.

Plenty of GC men up for a battle today...

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) leads the race, though we'll have to wait and see how he climbs against the Tour de France winners and flyweight Colombians present.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) is in flying form four seconds down, but is less likely to hang on up the 7 per cent slopes.

Julian Alalphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) is 10 seconds down and the strongest climber of the three, but still he's no Pogačar or Bernal in the mountains.

Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) is in fourth at 19 seconds. He's looking for his first win with his team.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Sergio Higuita (EF Education-Nippo), João Almeida (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic), Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo), Domenico Pozzovivo (Qhubeka Assos), Jakob Fuglsang (Astana-Premier Tech), and Romain Bardet (Team DSM) all lie at 20 seconds.

Ineos duo Egan Bernal and Geraint Thomas are at 38 and 39 seconds down.

50km to go

The riders are climbing and the break has split up. Vinjebo is gone, and Canola is just about hanging on.

Bahrain Victorious have moved to the front of the peloton. Landa must be feeling good.

Canola is dropped now. Just three left up front.

45km to go

Peter Sagan goes out the back of the peloton, meanwhile.

The lead trio are still together as they move closer to the top of the climb. The peloton it 5:55 back now.

41km to go

Würtz Schmidt pushes on alone over the top.

Stage 7 at Paris-Nice has just finished.

Click here to find out who won.

Back at Tirreno-Adriatico and the riders are currently heading down the descent. UAE Team Emirates lead the peloton.

The lead trio are back together after Würtz Schmidt's push earlier on.

23km to go

The gap is still 4:45.

We're counting down to the start of the climb and the big battle among the GC men that will surely be coming very soon.

Here's a look at the break from earlier on. The last man there, Canola, is no longer up there, of course.

15km to go

A look at the final climb, which the break have just started.

Four minutes for the break now.

14km to go

Benjamin Thomas attacks the break!

Würtz Schmidt goes with him and Bais is dropped.

Vinjebo and Canola are caught by the UAE-led peloton, who are just about to begin the climb.

Mathieu van der Poel is out the back of the peloton at the bottom. Not giving it a go today – he said before the race he was only here for a stage win which he got yesterday.

This climb was last featured on the route back in 2013, when Chris Froome took victory.

12km to go

Ineos Grenadiers lead the peloton now with Salvatore Puccio and Filippo Ganna. The gap is down to 3:20.

Up front it's Würtz Schmidt who puts in an attack.

Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) has attacked from the peloton.

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) drops from the peloton.

11km to go

Still 3:15 between the Ganna-led peloton and the break. Ciccone has 10 seconds as Ilnur Zakarin (Gazprom-RusVelo) drops from the peloton.

Six men on the front for Ineos. It's hardly a deadly pace. Reminder that Egan Bernal lies 38 seconds down on Van Aert and 18 seconds down on Tadej Pogačar.

Davide Formolo drops from the peloton and now Pogačar is alone. He sits right behind the Ineos train, alongside Tobias Foss and Van Aert. Alaphilippe, Vlasov, Nibali, Quintana, Almeida, Caruso are all close behind.

8.5km to go

2:45 for Würtz Schmidt now. Ganna drops off the front of the peloton, his job done. Now Jonathan Castroviejo takes it up.

Ciccone has been caught, by the way.

Michał Kwiatkowski is also working on the front for Bernal and Thomas.

8km to go

Just Castroviejo left with Bernal and Thomas now. 

And Bernal goes!

Pogačar and Landa are right on his wheel.

Van Aert leads the chase as Fuglsang makes it across to the trio.

Van Aert leads the group back to the leaders.

1:40 to Würtz Schmidt now.

7km to go

Now Thomas pushes on as the GC men catch Bais from the early break.

Thomas, Pogačar, Bernal, Van Aert, Landa, Fuglsang, Quintana, Nibali, Yates, Bardet, Higuita, Alaphilippe, Cataldo, Almeida are all in this group

Thomas pushes on again to force some effort out of Van Aert.

1:05 for Würtz Schmidt.

6.5km to go

Another group is chasing on behind the GC group, meanwhile.

All blue at the front of the GC group as Van Aert leads Almeida and Fuglsang in pursuit of Thomas, who passes his namesake Benjamin from the break.

The time is falling off the lead now. 45 seconds for Würtz Schmidt.

6km to go

For Van Aert so far it's been a similar experience to his rides at the Tour last year. He's not riding for a team leader though, but still tapping out that tempo comfortably.

Pogačar jumps across to Thomas, eating up a 10-second gap in no time.

5.5km to go

Thomas jumps onto Pogačar's wheel. He has a man back in the group, after all. Quintana and Almeida tried to go away with Pogačar, but didn't match his pace and are hanging in between.

Pogačar and Thomas are maybe 15 seconds up now. Thye catch and pass Würtz Schmidt.

5km to go

Pogačar drops Thomas.

Solo for white jersey Pogačar now. Already he has 10 seconds on Thomas.

Surely Bernal will go soon?

Nibali drops from the group as Thomas is brought back.

20 seconds from Pogačar to the group and Bernal goes!

Landa chases and Yates goes too. Van Aert is struggling but still just riding at his own pace.

4km to go

Alaphilippe is dropped.

Pogačar is around 10-15 seconds out front. Landa, Bernal and Yates the next group on the road.

Higuita, Quintana and Almeida are trying to get across to the Bernal group.

Now Van Aert drags his group back to the Quintana group.

15 seconds up to Pogačar, still.

3km to go

Yates attacks! He's way down on GC, so he's thinking about the stage here.

Higuita, Fuglsang, Quintana, Almeida move again from the Van Aert group. The Belgian is left behind once again.

2.5km to go

10 seconds between Pogačar and Yates. Landa and Bernal further back as the Van Aert, Fuglsang, Quintana, Higuita group comes back together.

Pogačar is 33 seconds up on the main group and riding into the race lead.

Simon Carr (EF Education-Nippo) is also in that Van Aert group, by the way. He's having a very good race.

Now it's just Pogačar and Yates out front as the group behind comes together. Bernal pays for his efforts as he gets distanced.

Thomas isn't in the group either.

Van Aert, Fuglsang, Carr, Almeida, Landa, Quintana, Higuita and I think Matteo Fabbro are in that group.

1.5km to go

Yates is chipping away at Pogačar's lead second by second. It's down to seven seconds now.

40 seconds back to the Van Aert group.

1km to go

Pogačar is riding to the win here. Yates still chases but can't close that gap.

Van Aert leads the group across 40 seconds later.

500m to go

Bernal is helping Thomas, meanwhile.

Pogačar is riding into blue.

Yates still not able to get close to Pogačar in these closing metres.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) wins stage 4 of Tirreno-Adriatico!

Higuita and Landa sprint for third, 29 seconds down. Quintana follows ahead of Almeida.

Van Aert crosses the line 45 seconds down.

Pogačar now leads the race by 35 seceonds ahead of Van Aert. Higuita is third, also at 35 seconds. 

It's hard to see where Van Aert is really going to get that kind of time back. He might take some bonus seconds over the next two days, while Pogačar is a top, top time trialist.

Here's your winning shot of Pogačar.

Check here for our brief rpeort and results along with a photo gallery.

Here's a look at tomorrow's stage. Plenty of hills, including four times up the 15 per cent wall of Castelfidardo.

Here's what today's winner Tadej Pogačar had to say about the stage.

"Today was a very hard stage. My team did a great job bringing down the gap from the breakaway and then I did my best on the climb: I am very satisfied with this win! Now I am in the lead, but tomorrow we have another really hard stage, and with the final ITT anything can still happen."

Pogačar celebrates his win and blue jersey on the podium.

That's all for us today. Be sure to keep checking back for news and reaction from today's races, as well as more live coverage tomorrow.