Extended Highlights - Stage 4 - The AlUla Tour 2025 - video Dailymotion

The AlUla Tour

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Transcript

00:00I have a kind of stage here, I will be really happy.

00:09Tim Merlier, there was never any doubt.

00:12It's already difficult to win one race, so we will see.

00:16Who is going to take this stage? Groenewegen is trying to get on the wheel.

00:21It's Merlier and Groenewegen, but it's two sprints out of two for Tim Merlier.

00:27Do you look in the shape of your life so early in the season?

00:31I don't think so. We will see later.

00:39Tim Merlier doubled up in yesterday's third stage,

00:42taking an impressive sprint victory ahead of Dylan Groenewegen.

00:46But today is all about the GC battle, as the peloton head to the sky views of Harata Wairid

00:51on the Queen stage of this Alula Tour 2025.

00:57This morning, the riders gathered at the architectural marvel that is Mariah,

01:02the world's largest mirrored building, a glittering jewel here in the heart of the desert.

01:09Today, the race leader Tom Pidcock will be defending his eight-second overall lead.

01:16It's definitely a tough climb, and definitely one where you can't go too early.

01:22Like you say, the flat part after you definitely needs something left for there.

01:26So it's going to be interesting, but I guess I know I'm in good shape.

01:30I've looked after myself, so all to play for.

01:33I guess the main thing is defending this jersey, but if we go on the offensive,

01:37try and win the stage, that's probably the best way to try and defend.

01:42But the chasing pack will be waiting to pounce.

01:45The highest placed man for home team Jacob Alula is mountain bike star Alan Hafferley.

01:52For sure I'm going to leave it all out there, and fingers crossed it goes our way today,

01:56and can move up on GC, and dream day would be stage win as well.

02:00Okay, so we've had the Olympic mountain bike champion win stage two.

02:04Is it going to be the world mountain bike champion who wins stage four?

02:07Let's hope so.

02:10Stage four is a shade over 140 kilometres, and for the most part it's flat.

02:15The riders will go past Hegra twice as they head to this race's signature climb,

02:19with maximum gradients of 22 per cent it will seriously thin out the field.

02:24There are bonus seconds available at the summit,

02:26before an eight and a half kilometre drag race along the plateau to the finish line.

02:31Fireworks are guaranteed.

02:40There were two non-starters this morning, including Nils Eyckhoff,

02:43who had that nasty accident in yesterday's final, colliding with a lamppost.

02:47The Dutchman broke a tooth and fractured his jaw, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

02:52Well, the peloton keeping a close eye on the day's eight-man breakaway,

02:56with Pidcock up towards the front.

02:58This is only the second time that he has won a leader's jersey since back in his under-23 days.

03:03Jacob Alula on the front of the pack.

03:05This was a big day for the home team, who have yet to win at this race.

03:11Well, most of the eight guys at the front had already been in a breakaway this week.

03:15Alessandro Rumeli and Alexander Vinokourov from XDS Astana,

03:19Yuma Koishi from Team Ukiyo,

03:21Mohamed Abdelhalim from Terengganu Cycling,

03:25Andreas Miltiadis and Kongfob Timachai from Rujai Insurance,

03:29and Henri-Francois Brunaerhakka and Jens Rijnders of Wagner-Bazin.

03:34Well, Rijnders all but wrapping up the most active rider competition,

03:38the 26-year-old Belgian with a virtual lead of 13 points,

03:42after taking four at the day's first two sprints.

03:49Well, the peloton appeared to be relatively satisfied with this situation,

03:53keeping the gap steady at around a minute.

03:55The GC teams taking turns on the front of the peloton.

04:04Well, after a sudden injection of pace at the front,

04:07a couple of riders were caught out and dropped from the breakaway.

04:11Vinokourov and Miltiadis were unable to close the gap on their fellow escapees,

04:15and they eventually rolled back to the peloton.

04:20So, five men now leading the way,

04:22and Rijnders was frequently the one driving them along.

04:26The gap still hovering just under a minute.

04:31Well, heading into the last 30 kilometres,

04:33there was a minor issue for one of the race favourites.

04:37Oops, and a problem here.

04:39And this is Hatherley, who has got an issue.

04:42Well, it's good to have it now rather than later.

04:45Hatherley was soon back on his way again,

04:47getting a tow back to the peloton from the imposing frame of Max Walscheid.

04:54The sky views of Harata Wairu then looming into view,

04:57and as the road began to rise, riders began to go backwards.

05:06The breakaway is caught.

05:08The five escapees were brought back with 10.8 kilometres remaining,

05:11and now it was over to the GC riders,

05:13and it wasn't long before the race leader himself moved to the front of the bunch.

05:18Pidcock now takes control.

05:20Pidcock setting a punishing tempo

05:22as they embarked on the steepest part of this brutal climb,

05:25and he soon shredded the front group.

05:28Riders strewn all over the road as the gradients really began to bite.

05:37Soon there were only three men hanging onto Pidcock's wheel.

05:40Rainer Keplinger, second this morning,

05:42Alan Hatherley, third this morning,

05:44and Eddie Dunbar, also in the purple of Jacob Alula.

05:49However, they had no response

05:51when Pidcock went supersonic 700 metres from the summit.

05:56Now Dunbar is struggling.

05:59Pidcock turns the heat up a little bit more.

06:02Now he starts to accelerate a little bit harder,

06:05and Keplinger has no answer.

06:07Hatherley doesn't have one either.

06:09Pidcock has used his immense power to go clear on the climb.

06:15The British rider surging away from his rivals

06:18and quickly opening up a 20-second gap.

06:20It would take some effort to bring him back.

06:24Keplinger, Hatherley and Dunbar were soon joined

06:26by a fourth chaser, Johannes Coulset of Unix Mobility.

06:30Pidcock getting to the summit with 25 seconds in hand

06:33and pocketing another three bonus seconds.

06:36He would now switch to time trial mode

06:38for the flat run into the line.

06:43The four chasers weren't really working together,

06:45splitting into two groups.

06:47Dunbar and Keplinger leading Coulset and Hatherley.

06:50They did eventually get themselves organised,

06:52chasing as a foursome,

06:54and slowly but surely they began to eat into Pidcock's advantage.

06:58But could they catch him in time?

07:01500 metres to go for Pidcock in the green jersey.

07:05He's at 50 kilometres an hour.

07:08He can see now the finish.

07:10Look at that shot.

07:11That is absolutely beautiful.

07:13Dunbar leading the chasers here in the Alula Tour,

07:17but it looks like it might just be a little bit too late.

07:20Hatherley on the wheel, Coulset there,

07:23and Keplinger the best riders behind.

07:28300 metres to go for Tom Pidcock.

07:33Well, what an escapade it has been.

07:37Tom Pidcock, tremendous,

07:40wins stage four of the Alula Tour

07:43and takes the green jersey into the final day.

07:46A big sprint now.

07:48Hatherley is going to take second place.

07:50Hatherley takes second to take the second place bonus.

07:53Behind him is Keplinger, then Coulset, then Dunbar,

07:56and here come the chasers.

08:01The chasing group led in a celebration of Q36.5 on the line.

08:09If Pidcock's first win on stage two was impressive,

08:12then this was a masterclass.

08:14The 25-year-old simply in a league of his own here in the Saudi desert

08:18as he left everybody else in his dust,

08:20showing some of the form that has previously brought him wins

08:23at Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold.

08:25Pidcock just has to finish the job tomorrow.

08:28Yeah, really happy.

08:29Extended the lead and, yeah,

08:31gives us a bit more of a buffer going into tomorrow.

08:34That type of climb, that kind of effort, is an effort that you like?

08:39Yeah, I think I've been doing a lot of training

08:41that's really helped in those sort of efforts.

08:43I think this week I've set my new five, ten-minute best-ever powers,

08:47so I'm definitely in good shape.

08:51Pidcock taking the seventh win of his road cycling career

08:54by 12 seconds from Hafele, Koeplinger and Kulcic.

08:57The next group was led in by Thomas Pesenti at 24 seconds.

09:03Pidcock now has a comfortable lead of 29 seconds

09:06before tomorrow's final sprint,

09:08although just three seconds separate Koeplinger and Hafele.

09:11You know ex-duo Devarsanis and Kulcic round out the top five.

09:16The red jersey continues to go back and forth

09:18between Pidcock and Moliere.

09:20The British rider leads once again,

09:22but the Belgian will likely recover it in tomorrow's sprint.

09:26After his fine effort on the final climb,

09:28Kulcic takes the white jersey from his team-mate Odne Hulter,

09:31UNOEC showcasing their young talent here in Saudi.

09:35And barring any incidents tomorrow,

09:36Jens Rijnders will be heading home with the orange jersey

09:39as the race's most active rider.

09:43Four down, one to go.

09:44Join us again on Saturday for the final sprint shootout,

09:47and thanks for watching.

09:52U.S. Money Reserve

Extended Highlights - Stage 4 - The AlUla Tour 2025

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