"I’m sure João will win the time trial and take yellow" - UAE teammates have full faith in Almeida at the Tour de Romandie

Lenny Martinez claimed victory on Stage 4 of the Tour de Romandie today, conquering the summit finish at Thyon 2000 with a powerful sprint ahead of João Almeida of UAE Team Emirates - XRG. The team rode aggressively throughout the day, with Almeida and Jay Vine leading the charge in the final kilometres. They now head into tomorrow’s decisive time trial with a genuine shot at overall victory.

For much of the stage, Ivo Oliveira set the tempo at the front of the peloton, driving the chase behind the trio of breakaway riders and laying the groundwork for a strong team finish. Ultimately, the rider from Gaia crossed the line 31 minutes behind the stage winner but reflected positively on the day's efforts. "We wanted the stage win, but second place was the best we could manage," he told PCM after the finish.

"The most important thing is that João kept the same overall time. Everything will be decided in the time trial, and I think he deserved today’s win. We worked hard for it—that was our goal from the start."

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s race against the clock, Ivo is confident. "I’m sure João will win the time trial and take yellow. And if not him, it’ll be Jay. We’re in a great position to bring the race home," he said, though he cautioned about the conditions: "We’ll need to watch out for the rain—it could hit towards the end."