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Extended Highlights - Stage 4 - The AlUla Tour 2024
The AlUla Tour
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2/2/2024
Discover the Stage 4 highlights
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00:00
Tim Melear celebrates, makes it look very, very easy, absolutely smokes it.
00:17
Tim Melear simply had too much firepower for the rest of the field in yesterday's sprints.
00:22
The Belgian is likely to be the man to beat again in today's fourth stage between Hegra
00:26
and Mariah, especially in the absence of Dylan Groenewegen, a non-starter this morning due
00:31
to illness.
00:33
Melear is also eyeing up the red jersey and potential victory in the points classification.
00:42
To focus on the stage is the first thing.
00:45
If you win the stage, the jersey comes from himself also.
00:49
So we will try again to have the win today.
00:53
Matteo Maluccelli finished second in Mariah last year and the Italian is hoping to go
00:58
one better with his new outfit, JCL Team Ucchio.
01:03
It's a little climb, 800 metres, but I have good memories from last year.
01:11
This year for sure I try to do my best.
01:14
I know the road, I know the finish line, so it's important for me.
01:19
I will see what happens in the race.
01:25
There are others who will fancy their chances in this final opportunity for the fast men,
01:29
not least the current race leader Kasper van Ouden, who already has one stage win under
01:34
his belt.
01:36
It's a hard finish and if you lose speed you're screwed.
01:40
So you have to keep the speed and make sure you have enough speed coming into the last
01:46
little hill.
01:47
So we do it once, we can have a little look how the bony sprint will go and try to put
01:51
our plan into place.
01:53
We raced through it last year, so I recognise it from last year, it looks beautiful, but
01:58
I think I have to do some more research after the stage.
02:03
Today's fourth stage will be a journey through the fascinating history of this region, as
02:07
the riders not only set off from Hegra, but ride past it twice during the day.
02:15
Weather wise it was set to be a much easier day for the peloton with warm temperatures
02:19
and no wind to speak of.
02:21
On paper it's going to be a bunch sprint next to Mariah, where an uphill drag will favour
02:26
the punchier fast men.
02:28
The peloton will get a first look at it when they cross the line at the bonus sprint with
02:31
around 30km to go.
02:48
Breathtaking views to get the riders underway today, feast your eyes on this.
02:57
An early attack by five riders was promptly shut down, but three other men managed to
03:00
get up the road by the time the live pictures began.
03:04
Iker Bonilo in the orange of Esquetal Ascari, and two riders who already broke away on stage
03:09
two.
03:10
Andreas Miltiades from the Terengganu cycling team and Tejbaya Batsaikan of Rujai Insurance.
03:18
Three teams who've been jumping in the brakes all week and targeting the most active riders
03:22
jersey.
03:26
The gap to the peloton was around two and a half minutes, with DSM Fermanic PostNL patrolling
03:32
things for their leader Van Uden.
03:34
Soudal Quickstep also represented up at the front for Malir.
03:40
Everyone clipping along at a decent average speed of around 45km an hour.
03:46
Now Batsaikan began the day with four points in the most active rider competition and was
03:51
targeting three more at the intermediate sprint with 50km to go.
03:54
However Bonilo had other ideas.
04:02
The peloton slowly chipping away at the brakes advantage as they approach Mariah for the
04:06
first time.
04:08
You won't be surprised to hear that Mariah means mirrors in Arabic.
04:11
This remarkable concert venue is the largest mirrored building in the world.
04:18
The brake gearing up for the bonus sprint then, and Bonilo was fastest once again, taking
04:22
three seconds and three more active rider points.
04:29
The peloton wasn't far behind and, as Van Uden pointed out earlier, this was a chance
04:34
to recce the finish and start thinking about sprint strategy.
04:38
Meanwhile, Milti Ardis had decided to go solo at the front.
04:42
He is a nine-time champion of Cyprus in the individual time trial, so he definitely has
04:47
an engine on him.
04:48
A Teren Ghanou man quickly pulling around, 30 seconds clear.
04:54
Bonilo and Batsaikan were soon swallowed up by the surging peloton, with DSM and Soudal
04:59
Quickstep still on the fronts.
05:04
So how long can one man hold off a 120 rider peloton?
05:08
Well basically until they decide to catch him, especially on wide, sweeping roads like
05:12
these.
05:13
The different sprint teams getting set for the likes of Melia, Van Uden, Weren Schold
05:18
and Decline, Milano and Kocka, but there was set to be some late drama.
05:38
Henock Mulubrahan was one of the riders to go down in that crash as the peloton caught
05:42
up to Milti Ardis.
05:44
UAE sprinter Juan Sebastian Milano also hit the deck and Arvid Decline was held up, so
05:50
several contenders now out of commission.
05:53
The rest gearing up for the final spectacular sprint shootout of this fourth edition.
06:02
Now the sprint goes, look at Tim Melia, what a burst of pace.
06:06
Melia is looking for stage win number two, tracked by Brian Kocka.
06:11
And has Melia got the pace to go all the way to the finish line?
06:14
Here comes the Frenchman, Kocka is going to try and challenge him on the other side of
06:18
the road.
06:19
Is it going to be a victory for Corfidis?
06:22
It's a photo finish.
06:24
Kocka celebrates, but that looks like Tim Melia takes it.
06:31
Well Brian Kocka may have celebrated on the line, but once again it was Tim Melia who
06:36
got the job done.
06:37
The Belgian going from a long way out and sustaining a tremendous effort for 300 metres
06:43
to just about get there ahead of the Frenchman.
06:45
That's back to back wins for Melia, who also takes over the race lead.
06:52
I know I can do this long effort and I tried because I was in the event, otherwise it was
07:00
also not possible anymore to win.
07:07
If you don't try you can't win.
07:10
But I'm happy it was just enough on the finish.
07:13
Brian he said he won, but I was not sure and I'm happy I'm in this seat now.
07:24
Melia doubling up ahead of poor old Kocka, who had a wry smile on his face after the
07:28
finish.
07:29
Van Ouden, Rik Ploumens and Luca Mesget rounding out the top five with Weren Schold in eighth.
07:36
Melia goes top of the pile by four seconds from Van Ouden, but the standings will be
07:40
turned on their head tomorrow.
07:42
Finn Fischer-Black and Davide Formolo are both inside the top ten, with Simon Yates
07:46
also 27 seconds down in 15th.
07:51
Melia is set to win the points classification after snaffling the red jersey from Van Ouden.
07:55
They're both on 39 points, but the Belgian leads thanks to his extra stage win.
08:00
The only points available tomorrow are at the finish, after the climb of Harata Wyryd.
08:07
Atsushi Oka reclaims the orange jersey after picking up a couple of points early in the
08:11
day, but it's neck and neck.
08:13
But Saikan is also on eight points, with Polychronos Tsotsakis on seven.
08:20
Van Ouden retains the white jersey as the best young rider, but that classification
08:24
is also set for a major shake-up tomorrow.
08:29
The sprinters will finally take a back seat in Saturday's fifth and final stage, as
08:33
the GC contenders battle for glory up to the sky views of Harata Wyryd.
08:38
It promises to be spectacular, so join us then, and thanks for watching.
08:41
(dramatic music)
08:44
(whooshing)
08:47
[BLANK_AUDIO]
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