Tour of the Alps: Tao Geoghegan Hart wins for second time on stage four

26th Apr 2019 | Source: BBC

Tao Geoghegan Hart sprinted clear of Vincenzo Nibali (right) on the home straight in Cles

Britain's Tao Geoghegan Hart claimed his second win at the Tour of the Alps by outsprinting Vincenzo Nibali from a select group on stage four in Italy.

Geoghegan Hart, 24, moved into second overall, 27 seconds down on Team Sky team-mate Pavel Sivakov, who finished fourth on Thursday in Cles.

Chris Froome finished fifth after helping Geoghegan Hart and Sivakov counter earlier attacks by Nibali.

Hart took his first senior win on stage one and finished second on stage three.

The five-day race concludes with a mountainous 147.8km stage to Bolzano on Friday.

Froome is trying to hit top form in time for the start of his bid for a fifth Tour de France title when the race starts on 6 July in Brussels, but struggled early on in the race and said he is now riding in support of Geoghegan Hart and Sivakov, 21.

The 33-year-old twice brought back Nibali on the final major climb of the Passo Predaia before the Italian finally dropped everyone except Geoghegan Hart, Sivakov and Rafal Majka with around 21km to go.

Those four stayed clear until the finish, with Geoghegan Hart launching his sprint first and Nibali unable to come round him, while Majka took third.

Froome led the chasing group home four seconds behind and is now ninth overall, two minutes 34 seconds back on Sivakov.

Stage four result

1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Team Sky) 3hrs 26mins 32secs

2. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita/Bahrain-Merida) Same time

3. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora-Hansgrohe)

4. Pavel Sivakov (Rus/Team Sky)

5. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) +4secs

6. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita/Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec) Same time

7. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus/Gazprom-Rusvelo)

8. Hubert Dupont (Fra/AG2R La Mondiale)

9. Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa/Euskadi Basque Country-Murias)