Aurelian Paret-Peintre stage winner and Andreas Laknessund new pink jersey. They are the protagonists of the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia which, after 175 kilometers of racing, in Lago Laceno, in the Avellino area, awards the French victory and third place in the general classification and allows the Norwegian to slip the pink jersey off the shoulders of the Belgian champion Remco Evenepoel.
On the hairpin bends with gradients from six to twelve percent that lead to the finish line on the plateau ring at an altitude of 1,110 metres, the two make the difference by breaking away from the five riders, Conci, Albanese, Barguil, Ghebreigzabhier and Skujins, with whom they had given life to the escape that began 75 kilometers after the departure of Venosa, and managing to contain the return of the group in the pink jersey led by Remco Evenepoel's Ineos who is now second in the general standings at 28'' from Laknessund.
Paret-Peintre is third at 30'', Almeida at 1' and Roglic at 1'12''. The fourth time of the Giro in Lago Laceno (the last in 2012 with the victory of Domenico Pozzovivo ; in 1998 with Alex Zulle who overtakes Marco Pantani; in 1976 with the victory of Roger De Vlaemink) confirms the tradition of the stage in which, three times out of four, the pink jersey changes ownership. Lively rhythms since the departure from Venosa. First escape attempt after about twenty minutes in which thirteen runners give life, including Leknessund, immediately recovered by the group. On the first part of the race, rains and clear spells alternated. On the wet asphalt in the downhill section that precedes the flying finish line of Muro Lucano, the German of the Jumbo crashes first, Hessmann then three other corridors, including Diego Ulissi: although bruised they will be able to get back on the saddle. The "good" escape starts a hundred kilometers from the finish line in Laceno. Paret-Peintre, Conci, Albanese, Barguil, Leknessund, Ghebreigzabhier and Skujins, four of the seven in the classification area, manage to gain up to five minutes on the group. On the flying finish line of Muro Lucano it was Vincenzo Albanese who conquered the ten second bonus.
With 85 kilometers to go, the advantage of the fugitives rises to almost five minutes over the group and in fact changes the general classification with the pink jersey which virtually passes from Evenepoel to Leknessund. The 23-year-old Norwegian of Team Dsm, Under 23 European time trial champion in 2020 and with a good pace uphill, resets the one hundred second delay claimed against him by the Belgian champion. The escape became more and more decisive and at the GPM on the Monte Carruozzo pass, 65 km from the finish, it was Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier of Trek-Segafredo who passed first with a solo sprint. The strategies of the fleeing group are also clarified: Leknessund does not participate in the shots, aiming to put his signature on the hairpin bends that lead to the finish plateau, but he does not disdain to cross the flying finish line of Montella first, 15 kilometers from the finish , gaining points for the general classification, followed by Albanese and Skujins.
Tomorrow the fifth stage, starting from Atripalda, in the province of Avellino, and arriving in Salerno, still on an angular Apennine route.
