Sammy Sanchez Wins Tour Of Basque Country Stage Four

Last updated : 07 April 2016 By CNS Staff

BMC's Sammy Sanchez has won the fourth stage of the Tour Of The Basque Country.

Today's stage was a 165km stage from Lesaka to Orio and included six categorised climbs.

Thirteen riders got into the first break after thirty kilometres but they were caught and a new break of six riders in Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis), Angel Vicioso (Katusha), Carlos Verona (Etixx-QuickStep), Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal), Christophe Riblon (Ag2r-La Mondiale) and Simone Petilli (Lampre-Merida). formed and they were two minutes ahead with 55kms left.

Onto the Puerto Garate and the gap was at 2.13. Maté, led the riders over the climb before Verona went away on the final climb taking a 13 second lead.

With 3.5kms to go, Wellens and Mate joined Verona but a kilometre later, they were caught and there was a group of 25 riders including race leader Mikel Landa and Alberto Contador who briefly led before being joined by BMC's Sammy Sanchez.

The BMC rider led going under the flam rouge but Warren Barguil tried to out-sprint him. However, Sanchez kept his nerve and took the victory in 4.13.12 ahead of Rui Costa and Barguill.

Wilco Kelderman of LottoNL-Jumbo now leads the race by four seconds from Sergio Henao and seven seconds from Mikel Landa.