Stage 4 began in aggressive fashion, with the peloton immediately splitting on the slopes of Passo Bordala. Race leader Giulio Pellizzari was briefly caught out of position in the early moves, forcing Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe to react quickly and bring the race back together. That early moment set the tone for a day where control would be fragile and the race constantly on the edge.
Breakaway builds before race fractures
A five-man breakaway eventually formed after repeated attacks, featuring riders from Tudor, Bahrain, EF, Jayco and Team UKYO. The move built an advantage of more than three minutes, with Sean Quinn the most notable rider on general classification.
As the climbs accumulated, the cohesion of the move began to break down. Quinn was first to lose contact, and the group continued to thin under pressure from behind as Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe controlled the peloton.
The race turned inside the final 20 kilometres when Jasch attacked from the front group and went clear alone. The Tudor rider quickly opened a gap and held firm as the chase behind him fractured into multiple groups.
Attempts to organise a pursuit never fully materialised. Juan Felipe Rodriguez briefly threatened from behind, while later moves from Matteo Sobrero and Federico Iacomoni emerged as the most dangerous in the closing kilometres.
Behind them, the general classification contenders also became active. Aleksandr Vlasov and Egan Bernal both attacked, while Pellizzari was forced to respond repeatedly, often following the accelerations of Tom Pidcock as the pace surged.
Solo breakthrough sealed in final kilometres
Despite the gap falling under 15 seconds inside the final five kilometres, Jasch never cracked. The chasers closed but could not organise a unified effort, allowing the German to hold his advantage all the way to the line.
The result marks a major breakthrough for the Tudor development rider, who started the day more than 13 minutes down on general classification and was able to ride with complete freedom as the favourites behind hesitated. The victory becomes even more striking given Jasch’s background, having only transitioned to cycling after a career in speed skating and still competing at development level.
GC battle remains finely poised
Behind the stage winner, the general classification group arrived without decisive gaps, meaning Giulio Pellizzari is expected to retain the race lead heading into the final stages.
With Thymen Arensman, Egan Bernal and Aleksandr Vlasov all still within seconds, the overall battle remains tightly balanced despite another aggressive and unpredictable day in the mountains.