Contador Wins Volta ao Algarve Stage Four

Last updated : 22 February 2014 By Covsupport News Service

Alberto Contador won the Volta ao Algarve Fourth Stage.

Pablo Lastras of Movistar was in the early break with Delage, de Vreese, Engoulvent, Fouchard, Voss, Rubio & Haddi on this 164.5km stage from  Almodôvar to the mountain finish Alto do Malhão (Loulé).

After 61 kilometres, they had a lead of 4.20 which was slowly whittled away until the thirty four kilometres to go mark when the peloton swept them aside.

Katusha's Maxim Belkov, Bjorn Thurau of Europcar, Oscar Pujol and Izagirre launched a new attack with twenty kilometres to go. This quartet gained a thirteen second lead before Izagirre and Thurau tried to get away.

With seven kilometres left, the peloton led by Tinkoff Saxo, took care of Izagirre and Thurau and everyone was together until the final 2.5km climb of 9% gradient on the Malhao.

Race leader Michal Kwiatkowski attacked with Alberto Contador but the Spaniard went away inside the final kilometre and won the stage in 4.02.08 with a three second margin of victory over Rui Costa who had come up the climb and passed Michal Kwaitkowski for second place.

With time bonuses factored in, Michal Kwaitkowski leads the race going into the final stage by sixteen seconds from Alberto Contador.