As it happened: Tirreno-Adriatico stage 4

Hello and welcome back to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 2024 Tirreno-Adriatico

Racing on this 207 kilometre stage from Arrone to Giulianova gets underway at 1030 CET and the riders are currently heading to the start 

Here's a photo of EF Education-EasyPost at the team sign-on at Arrone this morning. They were very active late on in yesterday's stage, with former Giro d'Italia winner Richard Carapaz moving into the green jersey of leader of the mountains ranking (he's the one waving to the crowds in the picture) as a result. 

Here's our full report of Wednesday's action in Tirreno-Adriatico, which culminated in Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) claiming the second stage win of his career in a chaotic, crash-marred bunch sprint.

Tirreno-Adriatico: Phil Bauhaus wins crash-marred sprint on stage 3

Here's a breakdown of the GC standings, courtesy of FirstCycling after stage three's  hilly finale, which was harder than it looked despite ending in a bunch sprint, partly because of the very cold weather.
Lots of shifts overall, but the key one for now is Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), second on stage 3, moving up to second overall as Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), previously lying one second behind Ayuso but who lost time on Wednesday, plummets 143 places down the overall rankings.

And racing of stage 4 of the 2024 Tirreno-Adriatico is underway. Only 207 kilometres to go.

As for today's stage, it features the first major ascent of this year's Tirreno-Adriatico, the monster 17.2 kilometre-long Valico di Castelluccio, which has an average gradient of 5%, and peaks out at 1,521 metres above sea level at km 69.3. This is followed by the much shorter, unclassified climb of Forca di Presta at km 82.8, at 1, 536 metres above sea level - the high point of the stage, before a long, long descent to the Adriatic coast and the finish, over 100 kilometres further on, at Guilianova.

190 kilometres to go

The first break of the day has now formed, with six riders present: Lorenzo Quartucci (Corratec-Vini Fantini), Davide Bais (Polti-Kometa), Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa), Alexander Kamp (Tudor Pro Cycling), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Alex Tolio (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè).

They're rapidly buiding up a solid advantage and it looks like we have our break of the day.

If the names sound familiar from this year's Tirreno-Adriatico, that's because Quartucci and Bais were in a long break on stage 2 and Bais was briefly in the lead of the mountains ranking as a result. Maestri is the best placed overall, at 1:24 down on race leader Ayuso.

Here's a map of what the riders have to tackle today. After that long Valico di Castelluccio ascent and heading due east to the coast, the last part of the 207 kilometre stage concludes with a 22.7 kilometre circuit, repeated once. 

That circuit has a hilly first part, crossing through the town of  Mosciano Sant’Angelo, followed by a gentle descent to the sea. The last three kilometres, though, have an average gradient of 4.5% and the last 400 metres have a 2% uphill gradient. If it's a sprint, that kind of slope will take its toll. 

The six have a gap that's north of four minutes now. This break looks like it's going to last at least until the Valico di Castelluccio climb.

165 kilometres to go

The six continue to hold an advantage of 3:30 as the race begins to climb, albeit very gently, towards the base of the Valico di Castelluccio.

Two non-starters, according to the race website: Mark Padun (Corratec-Vini Fantini), who finished 171st and dead last in Wednesday's stage, and Mads Wurtz Schmidt (Israel - Premier Tech), who was eight minutes down.

Average speed in the first hour of  40.7 km/h. UAE, as could be expected, are putting in the bulk of the work on the front for race leader Juan Ayuso. 

Weather at the start was dry and a relatively balmy 15 C, by the way, but given the riders are heading up to 1,500 metres above sea level today, lots of them have wrapped up well for the colder, higher part of the stage.

Intermarché has put their collective shoulder to the wheel behind, as the race moves onto the lower slopes of the Valico di Castelluccio. The six ahead are currently holding it together with lead of just under four minutes, but this climb is 17 kilometres long...

Here's a shot of a well wrapped-up Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), currently leading the points ranking and second overall, on the Valico di Castelluccio climb in the midst of the peloton. 

And talking of Milan, here's an interview my colleague Stephen Farrand, who's currently  at Tirreno-Adriatico for Cyclingnews, did with him earlier this week.

Jonathan Milan gives Lidl-Trek an extra sprint option for Milan-San Remo

Apparently there is still a lot of snow at the top of the climb, but the sun, at least, is shining (sort of).

Presumably also keen to see a bunch sprint rather than a break decide the stage, Cofidis are now riding in support of Intermarché-Wanty at the head of the bunch on the climb.

One kilometre to the summit and the gap for the six riders ahead remains at just over three minutes. A reminder of the break: Lorenzo Quartucci (Corratec-Vini Fantini), Davide Bais (Polti-Kometa), Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa), Alexander Kamp (Tudor Pro Cycling), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Alex Tolio (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè).

Across the summit of the Valico di Castelluccio and first-placed Alexander Kamp (Tudor) scoops up five points. Third place for Davide Bais (Polti-Kometa), though, gives the Italian former Giro d'Italia stage winner enough points to move back into the provisional mountains classification lead.

132 kilometres to go

The lengthy ascent of the Valico di Castelluccio has taken a serious toll on the time gap previously held by the six riders ahead, though, and it's shrinking very fast.

The six move onto the shorter, unclassified ascent of Forca di Presta at km 82.8, at 1,536 metres above sea level the highest point of stage 4, with an advantage of under two minutes.

Here's a picture from earlier on stage 4 (you can tell it's earlier as there is no snow...) of the six-rider break.

Good news for the break: as the six ahead approach the summit of the unclassified Forca di Presta ascent, their advantage has expanded again, back up towards 3:00. They've now got a mere 50 kilometres of descending in store, from the top of the Apennines right the way down to the Adriatic coast.

Reports of dense fog on the descent off the Forca di Presta

110 kilometres to go

The six ahead are steadily shedding time and on the long descent from the Forca di Presta their advantage has shrunk to just 1:35.

The peloton is off of the snowiest part of the mountains and the fog has, thankfully, lifted. They're currently on a broad, dry descent and the gap for the six ahead is expanding fast once again.

As the six dive through a tunnel the ever-ballooning and shrinking gap is rising fast again and is at its highest since before they tackled the Valico di Castelluccio: 3:57 the gap.

It was a perishing cold -2C at the summit, by the way, but weather reports from the finish are that it's a much more acceptable 14C and sunny.

The peloton is taking things very calmly at the moment, with Soudal-QuickStep setting a very gentle rhythm on the front. Good for any riders who were dropped on the climb, but the gap continues to rise as a result: 4:33 their latest advantage.

A reminder that of the six Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa) is the closest to Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) on GC, sitting 1:24 back and is the overall leader on the road by a hefty three-minutes-and-counting margin.

Some angry gesturing from Uno-X rider Magnus Cort as the TV camera gets too close -  to his liking at least - to the front of the pack. 

84 kilometres to go and the gap is now 5:24. It's not necessarily enough of a gap in the break's favour to say the stage win would definitively go their way, but it's certainly more promising than at any point up to now..

Finally, after that mega-descent off the Apennines, the road is flattening out a bit as we move into the last 80 kilometres of the stage.

An atmospheric landscape shot of the bunch battling their way through the mountains and cold weather early on the stage...

The break can't count their chickens yet, given there's been a dramatic increase in pace in the peloton, headed by Soudal-QuickStep, Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck for their respective sprinters. 

Stage 2 winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is one standout candidate for the day's victory if there is a bunch sprint, of course, but he crashed late on in Wednesday's dash for the line, wrecking his chances. You can read about what he has to say about this here:

From victory to sprint crash - Jasper Philipsen suffers after Tirreno-Adriatico success

This ain't over yet: the break are reacting to the increase in pace in the pack with a rise in pace of their own, and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) takes a long pace at the front.

67 kilometres to go

4:14 the gap

Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) was seen off riding off the back of the peloton a little earlier, with about 70 kms to go, but it wasn't clear for what reason.

Some very murky-looking clouds in the background, but for now it's staying dry. Cavendish is back in the peloton, by the way.

60 kilometres to go

The gap is definitively ebbing now, and stands at 3:06.

Puncture for Magnus Cort in the pack

The peloton wends its way through a technical section in the town of Sant 'Omero, but are showing no sign of letting up the pace of their pursuit.

The six are still working well together, even as their advantage hovers at just under three minutes. 

Cavendish is out the back of the peloton again, for the second time in the last 20 kilometres. 

The peloton lines out notably as the race hits a long stretch of well-surfaced, flat road.

As ever in Tirreno-Adriatico, one intermediate sprint in the stage today, at Mosciano Sant'Angelo with 14 kilometres to go.

First abandon of the day: Bram Welten, part of Team dsm-firmenich PostNL's sprinting contingent so particularly bad news on a stage like this one, looking increasingly like it'll end in a bunch sprint.

45 kilometres and the gap has dropped to 2:13. We could well be on for our third bunch sprint in three days.

Cofidis' Simon Geschke provides extra support for the effort to reel in the bunch.

Crash on a sweeping righthand corner in the bunch. Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) went down, as did Attila Valter (Visma-Lease A Bike). But both are back up and running, although Sheffield subsequently needs a bike change.

An earlier shot of key race favourite Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike), wrapped up well against the cold. 

35 kilometres to go

It's notable that although the break is slowly but surely losing time, but they are keeping together as a unit and clearly still determined to give the bunch a run for their money. 1:44 the gap.

Average speed of 40.2kmh, incidentally. Given there's nearly 2,000 metres of vertical climbing in today's stage, that's high.

Cavendish is back in the peloton again.

The race heads under the coastal motorway and railway and the six swing right as they reach the seashore. Signs for Giulianova appearing on the side of the road for the first time.

30 kilometres to go

And the gap has now dropped to just over a minute as the bunch power along the edge of the Adriatic. Bunch sprint ahoy.

Puncture for race leader Juan Ayuso.

As the gap drops to a minute, the break splits up, with three riders ahead: Kamp, Abrahamsen and Maestri.

Four kilometres before the riders get on the local circuit, with with 22.5 kilometres to go.

Guided by two teammates,  post-puncture race leader Ayuso is steadily blasting his way back up to the back end of the peloton.

24 kilometres to go

A minute's gap for Mirco Maestri (Polti-Kometa), Alexander Kamp (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility).

As the break approaches the finish for a first time, they can appreciate just how uneven the final uphill gradient is.

Here's a reminder of the full nature of the 22.6 kilometre finishing circuit, with a hilly first part, crossing through the town of  Mosciano Sant’Angelo, followed by a gentle descent to the sea. The last three kilometres, though, have an average gradient of 4.5% and after a narrow, righthand corner at 500 metres,  the last 400 metres have a 2% uphill gradient. If it's a sprint, that kind of slope will take its toll. 

The peloton spreads across the road as they come through the finish for the first time, with a 58 second gap on the three race leaders. Plenty of time to reel the trio back in.

Four kilometres to the one intermediate sprint of the day, at Mosciano Sant'Angelo. 3, 2 and 1 bonus seconds on offer as ever, then 10, 6 and 4 at the line. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), six seconds back on leader Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) might just be in with a chance of a crack at the top spot overall.

The three breakaways have stretched open their advantage again, to 1:13. 1: 24 back on GC, Maestri's chances of the overall lead have now all but evaporated, but the stage is not yet fully decided in favour of the bunch sprint.

Just as they did yesterday, late on EF Education-EasyPost make a pronounced acceleration at the front of the pack.

After a long spell of work on the front, Soudal-Quick Step's domestique Josef Cerny sits up, his job done for the day.

A delegation of Lidl-Trek riders keeps the pace high on the grinding, gentle ascent to Mosciano Sant'Angel and the intermediate sprint.

15 kilometres to go

55 seconds the gap between break and bunch

The gap is slowly dropping for the break but this is by far the hardest run for the money the sprinters teams have had so far in these three opening stages of Tirreno-Adriatico.

Mestri takes the intermediate sprint, but it's not been a real battle between the three ahead. 

Tim Merlier (Soudal-Quick Step) is dropped from the pack on the rugged terrain, meaning likely one sprinter's team less to keep the chase going.

12 kilometres to go

30 seconds now between break and bunch

Puncture for Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers)

Double trouble for Ineos Grenadiers as Connor Swift also punctures.

Eight kilometres to go

Alpecin-Deceuninck join the pursuit as the gap shrinks to 22 seconds.

It's a tricky chase though, on a technical circuit with lots of dips and falls, and the trio are not throwing in the towel. Not yet.

It's the first ever finish in Guilianova for Tirreno-Adriatico.

Caleb Ewen (Jayco-AIUIa) is still up there in the pack and Israel-Premier Tech are chasing hard as well for Ethan Vernon.

Four kilometres to go

And the gap is 14 seconds

The peloton come through a very dodgy corner with street furniture, but they all seem to get through ok.

Just over 10 seconds as Ineos Michal Kwiatkowski keeps the pace high with 2.5 kilometres to go.

Just eight seconds left with two kilometres to go and the peloton have the trio clearly in their sights on a long straight avenue.

1.5 kilometres to go

The break is just a few metres away from getting caught as the road begins to rise.

Intermarché sweep past the break as they shoot under the kilometre.to-go banner. Abrahamsen tries one last dig.

500 metres left to go... and Abrahamsen is still ahead.

Pidcock makes a move, Girmay overtakes Abrahamsen and Milan comes over the top for the win!

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) wins stage 4 of Tirreno-Adriatico

That was so close. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) came blasting up for second and was only just beaten to the line by Milan, while Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) claimed third.

And thanks to the time bonuses, Milan is also the race's new overall leader. The ten seconds he gained at the finish allow him to move into first place, four seconds ahead of previous leader Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates).

The top ten on the stage, courtesy of FirstCycling

And here's a first image of the winner

Some first words from the stage winner and new leader of Tirreno-Adriatico 2024:

"That was close, I have first to say thanks to my teammates, I think they did such an amazing job. I had a hard day, I punctured on the climb and it was tough to come back to the peloton. But the guys supported me in the best way."

"They pulled until the final, it was incredible. To say thanks to them for my victory and this means a lot for me."

"I wanted to win a lot. We came here with more than one goal and to bring some good results for me and the team. But we did it all together. It's a team victory." 

Milan has already been third in the opening time trial, and was second on Wednesday behind Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious). But now he's finally got the the win, the overall lead and obviously continues in the points lead as well.

Milan also leads in the BYR competition ahead of Ayuso, thanks to his victory, while there is a new leader in the mountains ranking: Davide Bais (Polti-Kometa), already heading the rankings after stage 2, is back in the top spot again.

Our full race report, complete with gallery, results and analysis, is available here.

Tirreno-Adriatico: Double victory for Jonathan Milan on stage 4

Some words from Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), winner on stage 2, then a crash-out in the last kilometre on stage 3, then second on stage 4, to Eurosport:

"It was a close one, but in the end Jonathan was stronger. He's strong on these finishes so congrats to him. It was a hard final, the last kilometre dragging uphill and a hard sprint."

So what's on for Friday?

Stage 5 of Tirreno-Adriatico from Torricella Sicura to Valle Castellana is a much shorter 144 kilometres, and although Saturday is the hardest day of the entire race, Friday could well see some GC action. The obvious place for fireworks is the last climb of the day, the 11.9km San Giacomo, which peaks out at 24 kilometres from the line, but the terrain is rugged enough for things to kick off earlier in the stage, too.

That just about wraps it up for Cyclingnews live coverage today. More news and analysis to come on the site this evening and we'll be back with more live reporting for Friday's stage 5.