Pietrobon shines on his home roads and Piganzoli shows his class in the Tour of the Alps
An epic day for Team Polti VisitMalta in a fourth stage where the team was present in the breakaway with Pietrobon, who was competing in his home region, and Davide Piganzoli who knew how to suffer in the final part to hold on with the best and be 8th at the finish line.
The faces of the cyclists showed the hardness of a stage that went from Italy to Austria and left no one indifferent. Temperatures of 5 degrees, rain… all the factors to harden a day that already presented a demanding profile.
Andrea Pietrobon had marked in red a day that crossed many of his training roads. And with solvency and strength, he was able to be in the main breakaway to receive the support of the fans, of his neighbours who have seen him grow up.
But the main group did not want to miss the opportunity to fight for the stage win and the overall of the Tour of the Alps, so they neutralised the breakaway after the halfway point and the movements among the best riders began.
He knew how to manage his strength, despite suffering on several of the climbs. He showed his courage, professionalism and strength. Davide Piganzoli was again with the best to stay in the fight and be eighth at the finish. The best of his group, in a real rosary of cyclists after the victory of Arensman (INEOS), also the new leader of the race. Piga is also second overall in the young riders’ classification, just 12 seconds behind Poole (Picnic).
Davide Piganzoli: ‘A really difficult stage because of the rain and the cold right from the first climb. It was important to keep my body warm to hold on. In the final part, the fight was one on one to defend the position and even if I suffered some moments, I was able to recover. I’m happy to get into the top-10 of a very complicated day and I’m close to the lead of the young riders’.
Stefano Zanatta, sport director: ‘A very hard and demanding stage today, with rain and cold. The hardest climbs have broken the race, Pietro has been attentive to get into the good breakaway and although they have taken some advantage, they have been neutralised by the best behind. Piga managed to hold on to the favourites and even compete in their group, so he was back in the fight and that’s good news’.
The Tour of the Alps closes tomorrow with a fifth stage that will take the peloton around Lienz with 112 demanding kilometres and a tight general classification.
