It was almost like a scene from a film, fog shrouding the roads in mystery before the hero of the day emerged, slicing through the thick clouds like an assassin.
Accompanied by a young side-kick, our day’s hero had rid himself of his big-name, better-fancied rivals to write another chapter in his own formidable rise to the top.
On Vallter 2000, that hero was Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) who, alongside Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) stole a march on an elite quartet of riders to emerge around the final hairpin in front, before the American sprinted to stage four victory.
It was a timely reminder that, while Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), Chris Froome (Team Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) played a major part in the day’s proceedings, this particular era of cycling is anything but predictable.
Both Bardet and van Garderen once again showed they are emerging into serious contenders, while Garmin-Sharp’s Andrew Talansky was also involved at the sharp end.
So, amidst the fog, what did we learn from stage four of the Volta a Catalunya? Read our five observations over the following pages.
