In the very fast finish that concluded stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia this Tuesday, in Andora, Laurence Pithie didn’t get the opportunity to fully deliver his sprint. Yet, the young New Zealander was at the very front of the pack in the last 500 metres, but he got then blocked against the barriers and was unable to continue his effort to the line. He therefore finished just outside the top-10, in eleventh position, and will have another chance on Wednesday in Lucca.
For the first time in this 2024 Giro, the peloton was going to get close to the symbolic mark of 200 kilometres towards Andora, in Ligure. Exactly 190 kilometres were on the day’s menu, and although a small climb was to be overcome halfway through the race, and the short Capo Mele was located five kilometres from the line, a bunch sprint was the most possible outcome. Unlike the day before, some riders did attempt a breakaway. Lilian Calmejane, Francisco Munoz and Stefan de Bod took the front from the start and were even joined by Filippo Ganna for a few minutes. The Italian rider eventually sat up after a few kilometres as the bunch wasn’t happy with his presence up front. From then on, the leading trio was able to gain more ground and got a maximum lead of five minutes and a half. One hundred kilometres from the finish, the riders approached the Colle del Melogno (7.5 km at 5%), where only a handful of sprinters found themselves in trouble. On the other hand, the long descent towards the Ligurian coast, done under the rain, caused a few crashes. The riders of the Groupama-FDJ cycling team could avoid them, while the peloton got back together on the seaside after the various splits.
“I couldn’t make my effort”, Laurence Pithie
The bunch also found more pleasant weather for the last hour of racing, and gradually got closer to De Bod and Munoz, the last two men standing from the break. At the head of the peloton, Clément Davy, Enzo Paleni and Lorenzo Germani tried to keep the team in a good position from the last twenty kilometres on. “The team did a good job positioning the train,” said Frédéric Guesdon. “I was able to save a lot of energy on the coast, staying in front, added Laurence. The most important thing was the Capo Mele, and I could stay in the front and have a good position”. A first battle then occurred approaching the bottom of Capo Mele, where Filippo Ganna immediately made an attack as the day’s breakaway was just caught. The Italian never got a gap of more than eight seconds but could still start the descent with a slight advantage. The sprinters’ teams work finally paid off as they entered the last kilometre, and the leader was reeled in.
The final sprint set up at full speed, and Laurence Pithie placed himself really well in the wheels of his main rivals. Unfortunately, his effort was stopped just as the sprint began. “He got boxed in a bit on the barrier with 300 metres to go, it’s a shame,” said Frédéric Guesdon. “He could have scored a result if the door would have opened. It’s still promising for the future, and we feel that the team is still committed”. “I had a nice sprint, unfortunately I was just stuck on the barriers, explained Laurence. I had really good legs and I hoped for more, but it was just not possible. I couldn’t make my effort”. Another opportunity should come tomorrow in Lucca, after 178 kilometers.
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