Soudal-Quick-Step "not at all worried" despite a lack of control on Stage 4 at the Giro d'Italia

Soudal - Quick-Step and Remco Evenepoel had made no secret about the fact that stage 4 had been viewed as a possible opportunity for the Belgian to give away the Maglia Rosa. As such, sports director Klaas Lodewyck is not worried.

"It went on and off. We managed to control the start, but in the end we saw that little was going to happen. So we let the boys do short turns, and then go to the side. Then they came in quietly. We are not at all worried," Lodewyck tells VTM in the immediate aftermath of stage 4 in which Aurélien Paret-Peintre took the victory and Andreas Leknessund the Maglia Rosa.

“Someone had to be in the leading group who could take over both the pink and white jersey. Andreas Leknessund was therefore the perfect man," continues Lodewyck who seems unconcerned despite the that the seeming lack of control by the Soudal - Quick-Step in the early stage of the day was rather alarming.

"Now Remco no longer has to go to the podium to pick up the white jersey. We kill two birds with one stone," said Lodewyck. "It saves about a day and a half of rest if you don't spend two hours a day on ceremonies."