Team Sky's Egan Bernal loses lead to Tejay van Garderen (BMC) against the clock
The stage 4 podium at the 2018 Tour of California (Image credit: Getty Images)
BMC's Tejay van Garderen turned back the clock – against the clock – when the 2013 Tour of California champion stamped his authority all over the 2018 edition to win Wednesday's stage 4 time trial and assume the overall lead in the race.
Van Garderen put 1:23 into overnight leader Egan Bernal (Team Sky) over the 34.7km course around Morgan Hill near San Jose, and now leads the 21-year-old Colombian climber by 23 seconds overall.
Paddy Bevin – van Garderen's BMC teammate – finished second on the stage, just seven seconds down on his team leader, while Team Sky's Tao Geoghegan Hart showed his continuing good form to take third on the stage, 32 seconds behind the stage winner, which moves him up to fourth in the GC, within a minute of the race lead.
Along with Bernal, Geoghegan Hart gives Team Sky the possibility of a two-pronged attack as the favourites now eye Friday's sixth stage to Lake Tahoe. It's almost certain to decide who wins the race, which finishes with a sprint stage in Sacramento on Saturday.
See how the favourites stacked up against each other against the clock in this highlights video.
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