In the Race from the Tyrrhenian Sea to the Adriatic Sea, the fifth, royal stage is scheduled, which represents a good opportunity for Primož Roglič to take over the joint leadership. In the Paris-Nice Race, Tadej Pogačar leads three stages before the end by six seconds.
This is how much Roglič is behind in the total of the race of the two seas. The German Lennard Kämna (Bora Hansgrohe) is in the lead, while rider Jumba Visme climbed to second place with stage four, his first win of the season and 66th of his career. The 33-year-old Zasavec, who won Neptune’s trident four years ago, was the strongest in the sprint of the favorites for the overall victory on the final climb.
The fifth stage is royal, and the caravan takes the route between Morro d’Or and Sassotetto. Cyclists will overcome numerous slopes, and a total of almost 3,800 meters in altitude. At the end, the final climb awaits them. The average slope is 7.4 percent, in some parts more than 10 percent. Due to the wind at the top of the hill, the organizers shortened the stage by a little less than three kilometers.
Skupni vrstni red po 4. etapi: 1. L. KÄMNA NEM 15:38:46 2. P. ROGLIČ SLO +0:06 3. J. ALMEIDA POR 0:08 4. B. McNULTY ZDA 0:13 5. W. KELDERMAN NIZ 0:15 6. A. VLASOV RUS 0:17 ... 118. L. MEZGEC SLO 18:36
Pogačar three stages before the end with a lead of six seconds
In France, in the fifth stage, Pogačar reached the finish line in the winner’s time, but his advantage narrowed a bit, as David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ) got six bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint, while Pogačar got two. Thus, six seconds separate them in the total.
The sixth stage takes the climbers from Tourves to La Colle-sur-Loup. The route is varied, with many short climbs that could break up the main group into smaller groups. Three climbs of the second category and two of the third category await the cyclists on the way. Due to the strong wind, the organizers shortened the stage.
“Already tomorrow will be a stressful day in the saddle, similar to the classics, when anything can happen and many surprises,” said the captain of the UAE Emirates team. Then there are two more mountain stages on the schedule, and Pogačar also said: “The penultimate stage is somehow the most predictable, because you have to measure your effort until the top of the climb, but I like the last stage the most. It looks interesting. I know the route well, where I train a lot. I don’t even know the other roads in the next two days. It’s too late posted them so I could take them out and see them.”
Skupni vrstni red po 5. etapi: 1. T. POGAČAR SLO 17:14:52 2. D. GAUDU FRA +0:06 3. J. VINGEGAARD DAN 0:46 4. S. YATES VB 0:58 5. G. MÄDER ŠVI 1:21 ... 23. J. TRATNIK SLO 3:02 77. D. NOVAK SLO 20:07
Source: Rtvslo
