Chaves takes Catalonia fourth stage, Yates holds overall lead
- 25 Mar 2021
Colombia’s Esteban Chaves won the fourth stage of the Tour of Catalonia on Thursday, crossing the line first at the summit finish to claim his first major victory in two years.
The Team BikeExchange rider finished the 166.5km stage at Port Aine, at an altitude of 2,000 metres, seven seconds ahead of a bunch that included overall leader Adam Yates.
Ineos’ Yates holds on to first place in the general classification, 45 and 49 seconds respectively ahead of teammates Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas.
Chaves sits sixth in the overall standings, 1min 4sec back after a deserved win in the Pyrenees, his first since taking stage 19 at the 2019 Giro d’Italia.
The 31-year-old attacked with around seven kilometres remaining and managed to hold off a powerful chasing pack which also included 2018 Tour de France winner Thomas and Nairo Quintana, a former victor at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana.
Results and overall standings after the fourth stage of the Tour of Catalonia, a 166.5km run between Ripoll and Port Aine:
Stage: 1. Esteban Chaves (COL/BIK) 4hrs 29mins 47sec, 2. Michael Woods (CAN/ISR) at 7sec, 3. Geraint Thomas (GBR/INE) same time, 4. Adam Yates (GBR/INE) s.t., 5. Sepp Kuss (USA/JUM) s.t., 6. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) s.t., 7. Richie Porte (AUS/INE) s.t., 8. Wilco Kelderman (NED/BOR) s.t., 9. Nairo Quintana (COL/ARK) s.t., 10. Lucas Hamilton (AUS/BIK) s.t.
Overall standings: 1. Adam Yates (GBR/INE) 14hrs 14mins 15sec, 2. Richie Porte (AUS/INE) at 45sec, 3. Geraint Thomas (GBR/INE) 49, 4. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) 1:03, 5. Wilco Kelderman (NED/BOR) 1:03, 6. Esteban Chaves (COL/BIK) 1:04, 7. Joao Almeida (POR/DEC) 1:07, 8. Hugh Carthy (GBR/EF1) 1:20, 9. Sepp Kuss (USA/JUM) 1:29, 10. Simon Yates (GBR/BIK) 1:32
Meanwhile, Ineos’ Ethan Hayter won the third stage of the Coppi e Bartali race in Italy.
Hayter, 22, out-sprinted his rivals in the charge for the line, screaming with joy as crossed it, after a difficult stage with several big climbs.
Jumbo-Visma’s Jonas Vingegaard still leads the Coppi e Bartali overall standings, but with Hayter now one second down.
Elsewhere, Grace Brown of Team Bike Exchange won the women’s Brugge-De Panne one day classic in Belgium, crossing the line seven seconds ahead of a chasing group which included Britain’s Alice Barnes of Canyon-Sram.
