"This weather suits me perfectly": Jakob Söderqvist conquers the rain to win stage 4 in Hungary

Jakob Söderqvist powered to an impressive victory on a rain-soaked stage 4 of the Tour de Hongrie. The 22-year-old Swedish rider for Lidl-Trek survived from the morning breakaway to conquer the steep finish in Pécs, taking his fourth professional win and claiming the overall race lead.

Following Tim Merlier's sprint victory the day before, stage 4 was widely expected to be a battle among the general classification favorites. The 147-kilometer route from Mohács featured a flat opening 80 kilometers before hitting a punishing local circuit that ended atop the Pécs climb.

Despite the continuous pouring rain, the early breakaway defied the odds and held off the peloton. Söderqvist launched a decisive attack in the finale to cross the line first, beating Adrián Benito into second place and Luke Plapp into third.

For the young Swede, getting into the day's main move was the only plan he had in mind. "It was my only option to be in the breakaway today," Söderqvist explained after the finish. "I was absolutely certain to be there, no matter what."

The severe weather forced race organizers to make a late adjustment to the route, cancelling the final lap of the finishing circuit. This sudden change added a layer of confusion just as the race was reaching its climax.

"When they cancelled the last lap, it was even more stressful to learn just before the climb that we were going to stop there," Söderqvist noted. "I was ready to do the last lap too."

With this stage victory, Söderqvist now takes over the yellow jersey as the overall leader of the race. He currently sits in first place in the general classification, just 40 seconds ahead of Benoît Cosnefroy and 52 seconds ahead of Luke Plapp.

While many riders in the peloton suffered in the cold and miserable conditions, the 22-year-old felt right at home on the bike. "I had a great day and I got the stage win, so I am really delighted," he concluded with a smile. "This weather suits me perfectly. I am Scandinavian, so I was doing quite well!"