Landa a big loss for rest of the GC season. Could be some good racing ahead. Not investing in TNT as ITV will cover TdF but has to be considered next year.
A quick dash around the Albanian City streets of Vlorë.
An odd-on favourite is Welshman Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers)
Edoardo Affini (Team Visma / Lease a Bike) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) will also be interested in a stage win today, plus either one of them could gain the Maglia Rose if Mads Pedersen’s 10 second cushion isn’t long enough.
The following national TT champions are at the start of today’s 13.7 km time trial.
Mathias Vacek Czech Republic Egan Bernal Colombia Joshua Tarling Great Britain Daan Hoole Netherlands Orluis Aular Venezuela Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda Ecuador Luke Plapp Australia Brandon McNulty United States
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Two important results will be gained from this sub-20 minute race:
Who will win the stage?, and who will be wearing pink tomorrow?
Today’s stage goes out from Vlorë to complete a 160 km circuit loop returning back to Vlorë again. Nice scenery on the way with a some coast roads, climbing in a couple of places isn’t quite severe enough for most sprinters that will be capable of staying in contact with the front (or catching up on the run-in) so likely to be another sprint finish.
I’d settle for no crashes above all, Luke Plapp the present Australian national time trail champ had a nasty crash off his time trial bike yesterday which put him right out of contention for the stage, he’s seems okay today and is back in the peloton.
Mads will go for pink when he can in this early days in the race, the prestige, and not to mention the money paid out for wearing that jersey, however ultimately Mads wants the Points jersey.
Meanwhile Trek’s number one (or 111 to be precise) Giulio Ciccone had a poor ITT time result yesterday that’s given him some GC catching up to do.
Yesterday’s ITT was interesting tho’, surprising how much GC time deficient damage a short time trial can do.
In one of the most surreal and unexpected moments in recent cycling history, a goat made its way onto the course during the opening third of the stage. As the peloton sped through the winding roads of the Albanian countryside, the animal suddenly darted across the path of the riders. In a split second, it narrowly avoided a collision with an Intermarché – Wanty rider, who had to swerve to avoid being knocked off course.
Fortunately, no one was injured, and the goat, seemingly unfazed, managed to quickly make its way off the road without any harm.
The 2025 Giro arrives in Italy on Stage 4, and another day for the sprinters, although this time all the pure sprinters should be there to contest the finish.
Mads will be up against the serious competition today.
Points to be gained in the Points Classification today.
LOCATION POINTS
Sprint at Polignano a Mare (39.3 km) = 12,8,5,3,1
Sprint at San Pancrazio Salentino (135.3 km) = 12,8,5,3,1
Points at finish = 50,35,25,18,14,12,10,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
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Stage 4 jersey wearers:
Mads Pedersen Lidl-Trek Alessandro Tonelli Polti VisitMalta (2nd - jersey on loan from Mads) Lorenzo Fortunato XDS Astana Mathias Vacek Lidl-Trek
Lidl-Trek, in 3:26:24
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team (crash injury)
Soudal Quick-Step (crash injury)
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 1
POINTS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 1
MOUNTAINS CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 1
YOUTH CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 1
Intermarché-Wanty, in 3:36:24
TEAM CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 1
13.5 km Individual Time Trial
(INEOS Grenadiers)
Czech Republic
Colombia
Great Britain
Netherlands
Venezuela
Ecuador
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, in 3:52:32
Cofidis, 18pts
20ºc (chance of cross winds)
Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team (crash - broken collarbone)