Tour de Pologne: Somber neutralised stage as peloton remembers Bjorg Lambrecht

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Peloton wears black ribbons as Lotto Soudal lead peloton into Kocierz

Lotto Soudal line across the finish line of stage 4 for a moment of silence in memory of their teammate Bjorg Lambrecht

Lotto Soudal line across the finish line of stage 4 for a moment of silence in memory of their teammate Bjorg Lambrecht (Image credit: Getty Images)

Tour de Pologne organisers neutralised stage 4 following the death the previous day of 22-year-old Bjorg Lambrecht (Lotto Soudal), who crashed during stage 3 and died later that afternoon in hospital.

The planned 173km stage from Jaworzno to Kocierz was shortened to 133.7km, and the finishing circuits were cut to one. Organisers replaced the planned final ultra-steep ascent with a straightforward uphill climb to a hilltop hotel and spa near the finish.

An overhead arch, made entirely of black and bearing Lambrecht's name and his Pologne race number, 143, was erected at the top of a long wooded climb deep in the countryside of southern Poland.

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Ahead of the peloton, the six remaining Lotto Soudal riders pedalled to within 50 metres of the finish, then dismounted and stood, arms round each other in a long line across the narrow hill road for another minute's silence. The peloton then broke up as riders rode back down the hill to their team buses.

Stage 5 on Wednesday was scheduled to go off as originally planned, although organisers said any post-stage ceremonies and celebrations would be muted from their usual pomp and circumstance. Lotto Soudal told media the team would decided before stage 5 whether they would continue in the race, which ends Friday in Bukowina Tatrzańska. 

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