UAE Team Emirates-XRG all-rounder finishes third on stage 4 to move closer to race lead

Moving like a whippet through the final 500m of stage 4, Jhonatan Narváez powered his way to third place over the line, a result that could have been so much more had the Ecuadorian not been boxed in through the decisive moments.

Advancing his way over the right-hand shoulders of his rivals, Narváez carried speeds that looked set to assure him victory and with it, the lead of the race. However, both Phil Bauhaus and Bryan Coquard jostled for the shortest line to the finish, causing Narváez to be inadvertently blocked off, with Coquard sprinting to his first victory of the season.

Behind Coquard and Bauhaus, Narváez was forced to settle for third and the four bonus seconds which come with it. The 27-year-old was frustrated to have come close for the second day in succession without reward, but his performance has seen the Ecuadorian close the gap to race leader Javier Romo to just four seconds heading into the penultimate stage on Saturday.

Despite disappointment, sports director Fabio Baldato sees lots of positives from the performance and is clear in his view of the sprint. “With the finish turning to the right, it is normal that the rider in front tried to take the shorter line. I have spoken to the jury and the president two or three times, and I trust them in the end. They are expert guys who I know well, and it is not the case that we look to fight this decision,” he clarified.

“I am optimistic. We need to be in the top three again [tomorrow] to get the bonus, that can be one solution, but the guys in the team look really strong. Today they pulled all day without being afraid and it was an interesting attack from [Mauro] Schmid, who went really fast until the end. We will go for it with the stage but for the most we are thinking about the GC with Jhony.”

Another strong team performance tees up Narváez for bonuses

Heading south from Glenelg to Victor Harbor, stage 4 was always going to require aggressive racing to put the purer sprinters into difficulty, and so it proved. From the flag drop, there was a healthy battle for the breakaway and in the end, five riders headed up the road to seek their fortune.

Unfortunately, UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Jay Vine hit the deck in a crash from within the peloton, leaving the Australian with abrasions to his right hip and knee. The former Tour Down Under winner also suffered from further misfortune with punctures – just as with stage 3 – but having been seen to by the race doctor, Vine returned to the peloton and rode strongly through the rest of the day.

Elsewhere, Julius Johansen once more spearheaded the peloton for most of the afternoon, whilst Rune Herregodts returned to form to play his part in the efforts.

Following a hard chase to catch the day’s break, UAE Team Emirates-XRG went on the offensive through Spanish duo Pablo Torres and Marc Soler, both of whom had their time in front of the peloton and ensured that the pace was hard enough to drop some of the heavier sprinters.

With the peloton whittled down in size by the finish in Victor Harbor, Rui Oliveira used his track pedigree to position Narváez strongly within the closing kilometres. The Portuguese’s efforts almost played their hand in a stage victory, but Narváez was denied his shot at success.

Coming with speed towards the right-hand barrier, Narváez’s path was blocked by Coquard, who had moved towards the right in an effort to seek an empty slice of road. As noted by Baldato, the move was legal, but alongside Bauhaus’ acceleration, proved enough to block Narváez of his own path to the line. Behind the pair, Narváez handily placed third to take the four bonus seconds.

“That was special today, with the energy going into the sprint,” said Narváez during his evening massage. “It was full strength from all the guys and the team did a great job, that was our plan. We wanted to go hard into the last climb and then pull until the end for a chance to take the victory or bonus seconds. In the end, ok we didn’t get a chance at the stage win but it is positive that we took the bonus seconds.”

Looking ahead to Willunga Hill on Saturday, Narváez was determined to bounce back and continue his assault on the leader’s ochre jersey.

“It is a hard climb. We have a good team so we have to think about how we can win the race, but we will give it our best shot.”

Friday’s result is enough to see Narváez reduce his deficit to the leader to just four seconds, with the man lying second overall positioned strongly heading into stage 5 at the weekend.

Vine, meanwhile, remains eighth, some 11 seconds behind his teammate, whilst Pablo Torres sits third in the young rider’s classification. In the team classification, UAE Team Emirates-XRG lay third and in the sprint classification, Narváez has jumped up seven places to fourth.

On Saturday, the peloton will be challenged by two ascents of Willunga Hill, the latter of which looks likely to decide the winner of this year’s Tour Down Under. With two riders sitting within 15 seconds of the race leader Romo, UAE Team Emirates-XRG are well set for stage 5.

Stage 4 Results

1. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) 3:55:15

2. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) s.t (6″ bonus)

3. Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) s.t (4″ bonus)

General Classification After Stage 4

1. Javier Romo (Movistar) 14:09:06

2. Jhonatan Narváez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +4′

3. Patrick Konrad (Lidl-Trek) +10′

8. Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +15′