Roman Kreuziger and Alberto Contador move to 3rd and 4th overall after stage 4 of Giro d’Italia. The day was marked by hectic racing on a draining Ligurian parcours, where Tinkoff-Saxo placed Kreuziger in the 28-rider breakaway with the intention of putting pressure on several rival teams. Ultimately, Davide Formolo was the only rider from the breakaway that kept the attacking favorites behind.
 
After the stage conclusion, Tinkoff-Saxo team leader Alberto Contador notes that his shape was good on “a very tough stage at Giro d’Italia”.
 
“It was a fast and hard day again but the team was fantastic once more. My sensations were good and I felt well on the climb – this is important. The entire team did a good job today and we saved energy as a result of having Roman in the breakaway controlling the race from the front. In the finale, I had Roman in front of me and Rogers right with me until the last climb, where we caught the group with Roman”, says Alberto Contador, who expects another strenuous day on tomorrow’s stage to Abetone.

For Tinkoff-Saxo’s sports director Lars Michaelsen, the 150km stage 4 to La Spezia ended as the team had hoped but with a few tense moments along the course of the stage.
 
“At some point it perhaps got a bit too exciting, but then again, we were still far from the finish. The tactical decision-making process was made difficult by the somewhat lack of information out on the parcours. Suddenly the break had a ten-minute lead and we had to send some guys to the front to keep the leading group within reach. But all in all, it was another difficult stage, where Alberto did well and received the support he needed from the guys that are doing a fine job”, tells Lars Michaelsen, who elaborates on the reason for having Kreuziger in the big breakaway group.
 
“A part of our strategy was to abdicate some of the responsibility that we’ve taken the last stages and put teams like Astana in a situation, where they had to spend some energy at the front. Having Roman in the breakaway allowed us to do this, while still ensuring that nothing ran out off hand. The intermezzo in the breakaway, where nobody wanted to pull, also meant that the bunch could gain back time fast”, concludes Lars Michaelsen.