Albasini wins Romandie fourth stage, Froome stays third overall
From left, Switzerland's Michael Albasini races to win the third stage of the Tour de Romandie cycling race ahead of second-placed Thomas Voeckler of France (centre) and third-placed Jan Bakelandts of Belgium on May 3, 2014. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI
What you need to know:
- Kenyan-born Tour de France winner Chris Froome is favourite to retain title in today’s last session.
- Swiss rider edges out Frenchman Voekler in sprint finish to continue his fine form in the race.
LAUSANNE, Saturday
Swiss Michael Albasini made it a hat-trick of victories in the Tour of Romandie by winning yesterday’s fourth stage after 175km around Fribourg.
Slovenia’s Simon Spilak kept his one-second lead over Tour de France winner Chris Froome in the overall standings.
Albasini, who had already won the first and second stages on Wednesday and Thursday, beat Frenchman Thomas Voekler and Jan Bakelandts of Belgium in a sprint finish among the five-man escape group that included two more Frenchmen, Alexis Vuillermoz and Jean-Marc Marino.
“Before the Tour of Romandie I would have been happy with one stage win so three is a bit crazy,” said the 33-year-old Albasini. “After this I’m going on holidays so I’m trying to give it my all during the race.”
FINE FORM
The Swiss rider’s win continued his Australian Orica-GreenEDGE team’s fine form this last week, with young Briton Adam Yates leading the Tour of Turkey having won Friday’s sixth stage in that.
Australian Simon Gerrans also claimed victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege last Sunday for Orica.
Katusha’s Spilak had taken the leader’s yellow jersey off Albasini by outsprinting Froome to win Friday’s mountainous third stage.
Tomorrow’s fifth and final stage is an 18.5km individual time trial around Neuchatel, in which Froome will be the overwhelming favourite to retain his title.
The last three winners of Romandie — Froome, Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Cadel Evans in 2011 — have gone on to win the Tour de France.
SPRINT FINISH
Meanwhile, Ella Viviani of Italy picked up his second-stage victory in three days in the Tour of Turkey when he won Saturday's sprint finish to the seventh and penultimate stage.
Already the winner of Thursday’s fifth stage, Viviani finished the 136km ride from Kusudasi to Izmir ahead of Canondale team-mate Andrea Guardini.
Former world champion Cavendish had won three of the opening four stages but has now been beaten by Viviani in the last two sprint finishes.
Amother British rider, Adam Yates, retained the overall lead, just one second clear of Estonia’s Rein Taaramae.
The 21-year-old rider for the Australian Orica-GreenEDGE team had won Friday’s uphill finish to take the leader’s jersey off Taaramae.
The race ends on Sunday with the eighth and final stage, a 121km ride around Istanbul.
