Remco Evenepoel loses Giro d'Italia lead but not as smoothly as planned - Analysis

Remco Evenepoel lost the maglia rosa on stage 4 of the Giro d'Italia
Remco Evenepoel lost the maglia rosa on stage 4 of the Giro d'Italia (Image credit: Getty Images)

In the end, Remco Evenepoel got more or less what he wanted from the first mountain rendezvous of the Giro d'Italia by conceding the pink jersey to the breakaway at Lago Laceno, but the manner in which it was achieved left something to be desired.

Evenepoel, of course, looked as comfortable as ever on the climb of the Colle Molella, but his isolation in the finale of stage 4 will surely be a concern. He crossed the line in a group of 24 that featured five riders from Ineos and three from Jumbo-Visma – but none from Soudal-QuickStep other than the world champion himself.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.