The bunch did not leave any space to the breakaway on Thursday, but Attila Valter still gave it a go. In stage 4 of the Volta a Catalunya, finishing atop of Port Ainé, the 22-year-old Hungarian managed to get into the day’s breakaway. His adventure lasted until the bottom of the last climb, and then Matteo Badilatti tried to remain with the favourites as he did the day before, eventually taking 21st on the line. Tomorrow, stage 5 will be another, serious opportunity for the Groupama-FDJ cycling team.
“It was a good experience”, Attila Valter
One could expect a furious start to the queen stage of the Volta a Catalunya. With already some big gaps on GC, many riders could aim to get up front on Thursday. Moreover, the first twenty kilometers were slightly uphill before the riders got the first climb of the day, the Port of Toses. This is where the right move went. Already on the attack beforehand, Attila Valter tried one more time and was able to enter the breakaway. “It was far from easy”, said Philippe Mauduit. “We knew the break would go with strong riders. The guys were careful, they fought to be up there and Attila eventually found himself in front. We need to have a role in that race. It seems important to me. Today, we saw the Groupama-FDJ jersey in the breakaway for the first time and that gives some hope”. “After what were not the best stages for me, it was time for me to do something,” said Attila. “I was a little bit nervous because on a stage like this, there is always a big fight for the breakaway and I don’t have too much experience from that point of view. Luckily, I had very good legs on the first climb and I followed a lot of attacks. I did my best to stay always in the first group and we eventually could go.”
Up front, the Hungarian found himself with some serious contenders among his breakaway companions. Unfortunately, many of these riders were still too close in GC to have free rein. Team Ineos controlled all day and the maximum gap recorded was about three minutes. “When we saw that Kämna was in front, we figured it would be difficult”, continued Philippe. “But it doesn’t matter! These attempts can work! If you never try, you have no chance of success. We had to take the breakaway today because there was a small chance it could make it. The group’s composition made the mission impossible, but at least Attila spent the day in the front, he was active, and gained morale and experience. Just for these reasons, it was worth it!”. “It kind of killed the motivation in the group to have Kämna with us”, said Attila. “We were sure we were going to be brought back. For me, it was anyway a good day. I just wanted to fight to get into the break and learn a bit about all this. It was a super day for my legs too, although very tiring with all the climbing. I need this for the future. It was a good experience. I was coming with high motivation for this race, and I trained really hard this month. Maybe a little too much. I feel I miss a bit of freshness to be up there and I was of course expecting much more from myself. After the GC was gone on day 1 because of a bad positioning, I did a good time trial and I wanted to get the best out of this race. That’s kind of what I did today”.
“We’re getting back to business”, Philippe Mauduit
The 22-year-old climber was eventually caught shortly before the bottom of the final climb of Port Ainé (18.4 km at 6.7%). His teammate Matteo Badilatti then took over, trying to follow the high tempo of the Ineos team as long as possible. After more than ten kilometers of climbing with the favourites group, the Swiss was dropped when Esteban Chaves produced his decisive attack. He didn’t blow though, as he managed to secure a decent 21st place at the top. “We can’t be satisfied with the result in itself, but Matteo shows that he has real qualities to be a very good domestique in the mountains,” said Philippe. “It’s pretty reassuring for the team. This Volta a Catalunya is perhaps one of the most competitive of recent years, and almost all the riders in front of him are well-known guys. Seeing our guys active at the start and at the end of the stage suggests that we are getting back to business. If we keep acting like this until the end, that will already be a positive thing”. They will definitely have to be so on Friday, as the undulating fifth stage towards Manresa looks like a great opportunity for the breakaway. “I think it’s going to be a long battle once again to get in the front, and it also could be quite a gamble,” Philippe concluded. “You can try three times, and the fourth attempt is the right one. We can imagine that the break will go the 3rd category climb, but it can also go before, or even in the downhill. We will join in the battle and do our best to be in front”.
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