20/04/2023

Gregor Mühlberger takes first victory in 2 years on stage 4 of the Tour of the Alps

Gregor Mühlberger has claimed victory on stage 4 of the Tour of the Alps in a day which the breakaway was let off the leash by the peloton and allowed to battle it out for the win for the first time in this year's race.

Stage 4 started off brutally with a 15.7 kilometres ascent at 7.3% of the Passo Sommo and with another day in the high mountains ahead, a fourteen-man breakaway rode clear early, one which included four riders from the Movistar Team.

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As the race reached the final climb of the day, the breakaway, still with a lead pushing four minutes, began to split apart. With Movistar trying to use the numbers game to their advantage, a Sergio Samitier attack was brought back only for teammate Gregor Mühlberger to counter-attack.

With Muhlberger initially riding clear, he was soon joined and then overtaken by 19-year-old sensation Giulio Pellizzari riding for Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè. Meanwhile back in the peloton, it was rather surprisingly Euskaltel - Euskadi who were lighting up the race. Initially taking to the front of the bunch at trying to eat into the gap to the breakaway, Mikel Bizkarra stting 12th in the general classification then used his teammates work and launched an attack.

Pellizzari, looking to become the youngest stage winner in the history of the Tour of the Alps crested the top of the final climb of the day with around 18 seconds lead over his nearest rivals, Mühlberger and Torstein Traeen.

With 12.6km to go the teenager was joined by the more experienced duo. The leading three riders still had 3:27 over the peloton so were looking likely to battle it out for the stage win.

As the trio entered the final kilometre still no attacks had come. Eventually, it was Muhlberger who made the decisive move and took his first victory as a Movistar rider ahead of Traeen in second and Pellizzari in third.

A few minutes later the peloton containing all the general classification riders rolled in together with Geoghegan Hart maintaining his overall race lead.