The rain was the first opponent for the riders who took part in the 4th stage of the Tour de Romandie, 169,8 km from La Neuville to Fribourg.

The course started with a long flat road, but after 60 km the road went upwards to the summit of the Les Paccots (2nd category) which was followed by the climbs of the Sorens (2nd category) and Treyvaux (3rd category, at 12 km to go).

The start flag had just been waved when the first attacks began: riding in the rain, 6 riders succeeded in starting the main breakaway, which had a maximum advantage of 5'40". In the final part of the stage, one of the attacker Kueng tried a solo action that gave him the victory with a 38" over Bakelants and Lindeman.

Rui Costa reached the finish in the group of the GC riders (55 riders), exploiting the perfect support from Matteo Bono. Costa was 12th at 52", Bono 13th and Ulissi 58th.

"The course of the stage was less demanding than the ones in the previous stages, there were less climbs, but the rain made the selection," Rui Costa explained. "That's why there were only 55 riders left. For me, the support I received from my team mates was fundamental in order to avoid any trouble."