His 44th position on the stage doesn’t tell the story of Sam Bennett’s efforts on yesterday’s the 202-kilometre fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia from Catania to Caltagirone. The Irishman mixed it with some of the top climbers in the race on the uphill finish before being passed in the final two hundred metres.
As the peloton went under the flamme rouge, the BORA-hansgrohe rider went clear off the front with four other riders including Jack Haig and Esteban Chaves of Mitchelton-Scott and Lotto Fix All’s Tim Wellens. The quartet had a small lead over the chasing peloton as Bennett went to the front on the short but tough uphill finish in the old town centre of Caltagirone.
The Irishman was only passed inside the last two hundred metres with Enrico Battaglin (LottoNL-Jumbo) the first rider to pass him. Wellens surged past Battaglin to take the stage win with Michael Woods (EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale) taking second with Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott)in fourth just behind Battaglin.
It was a good first day on Italian soil for BORA-hansgrohe as both Davide Formolo and Patrick Konrad finished in top ten on the demanding stage. Austrian Konrad has now moved up to ninth spot in the overall rankings.
The effort put in by Bennett was evident after the stage and his ride was further evidence that he is currently in great form following two third places on stages two and three.
This is #Giro pic.twitter.com/JVq6o7diDh
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 8, 2018
The race continues today with a 153-kilometre stage from Agrigento to Santa Ninfa (Valle del Belice) and the stage also features an uphill finish.
Jens Zemke, BORA-Hansgrohe sport director – “It was really a difficult stage today, especially the last climb was a tough one. The stage was hard to plan, it was a stage which can suit the climbers but also the punchers. But I think we can be satisfied, our sprinter Sam was at the front as we were in the last climb but the finale was too steep for the sprinters in the peloton. However our two GC contenders showed a strong ride and finished in the top-ten and Patrick moved up to 9thplace in the overall. All in all it was a good day for BORA – hansgrohe.”
