"Strange things were happening behind us" - Remco Evenepoel confused by UAE tactics at Tour of Britain

Despite promising attacks of the likes of Remco Evenepoel, the stage 4 of Tour of Britain came down to a sprint in Burton Dassett. There, Romain Grégoire proved to be the fastest as he held off compatriot Julian Alaphilippe to jump into the overall lead. Tomorrow, the GC is likely to be decided with the race's hardest finish on The Tumble (5.5km at 7.3%). Evenepoel will be the overwhelming favourite to win on this Welsh climb as his attack today wasn't met with success.

When Evenepoel attacked at 25 kilometers to go, a gap immediately opened behind the front group. "My feeling was good, and we immediately had a big gap after that attack, but strange things were happening behind us," the Belgian told Sporza on the account of UAE Team Emirates - XRG.

The Emirati team were represented in leading group with their leader Pavel Sivakov, but still chased down Evenepoel's move without a clear reason. "I'll send a message to Florian (Vermeersch, ed.)," he laughed.

Therefore the fourth stage came down to a reduced sprint. Evenepoel could aim for top placings, but he only crossed the finish line in 19th place. "My chain went on my outer chainring, and I had a gearing problem. That made me lose momentum and I was overrun by others," he explained. Despite not being able to sprint for victory, Evenepoel concluded the interview with satisfaction. "Overall, I felt good and I'm happy with my race. I probably took another step forward."

For Romain Grégoire this marks a third victory of this season, after Faun-Ardèche Classic and a stage at the Tour de Suisse. Now it will be up to his opponents to make their move on the remaining two stages if they wish to dethrone the French rider.

"It was a stage that suited us well, after three somewhat complicated days," the Groupama - FDJ rider looked back at the previous stages. "We were really looking forward to these stages."

"Today, we knew we had a real card to play, and we took the race in the right direction. The guys did a great job all day to place me. At the finish on the final circuit, it wasn't easy to manage with these three or four climbs, including one before the circuit, and with riders like Remco (Evenepoel) who wanted to start the race from afar and make it difficult. We managed it quite well by staying patient, making the effort when necessary."

He continues: "Arriving on the last lap, I played my chance to the fullest by positioning myself ideally a kilometer from the line. When I felt the opening 200 meters from the finish line, I went for it, and it held until the finish line. It's really great, a great victory. Behind me, it's not just anyone. We couldn't have hoped for much better," he concludes.

The two-time world champion is therefore still waiting for his first triumph in the new jersey. But as we know Julian Alaphilippe, the Tudor Pro Cycling rider never gives up and is certain to be again on the move in the final stages to try and turn the GC upside down in his own favor.

"It was a great day on the bike, with finally some sunshine," the Frenchman said with a smirk. "I knew this finish would suit me perfectly, and the team did a great job all day long. In the last kilometer, it was difficult to control the race, but I managed to position myself at the bottom of the climb. In the end, it was the strongest rider who won, so I'm happy for Romain, but also for my physical condition."