Axel Laurance, already winner at Barolo, also takes the Ponte di Piave / Valdobbiadene, fourth stage of the International Week Coppi and Bartali and returns to the lead of the general classification. The 2001-born athlete from Ineos Grenadiers achieved the victory by surpassing Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) who was wearing the leader's jersey. Third place finisher, at the end of the 159 kilometers of racing, was Riccardo Lorello (S.C. Padovani Polo Cherry Bank) with Nicolò Arrighetti (General Store - Essegibi - F.Lli Curia) fourth, Giovanni Bortoluzzi (General Store - Essegibi - F.Lli Curia) fifth and Diego Ulissi (XDS Astana) sixth.

THE STAGE - Starting without William Smith, Dylan Sage, Riccardo Archetti and the former race leader Filippo d'Aiuto - dealing with a strong knee injury sustained in the crash of the second stage - the fourth fraction of the International Week Coppi and Bartali was long dominated by the breakaway promoted by Emanuele Ansaloni. The 26-year-old from Emilia-Romagna of Technipes #inEmiliaRomagna Caffè Borbone attacked from the group at the nineteenth kilometer of the race and was quickly joined by Matteo Spreafico from Lecco of Mg.K Vis Costruzioni e Ambiente and Filippo Agostinacchio from Valle d'Aosta, riding for Biesse Carrera.

The trio reached a maximum advantage of just over three minutes and then the peloton began to close in. On the climb towards Rolle the gap between the group and the breakaway riders was 1'50". At the top of the KOM Ansaloni anticipated Agostinacchio while Spreafico passed in third position with the group of general classification contenders 1'41" behind.

On the climb towards Combai, the second difficulty of the day, Matteo Spreafico lost some ground, and Agostinacchio took the mountain prize. Shortly after, the experienced rider from Lecco was caught by the group but with determination he tried to attack again, moving to the wheel of Lorenzo Masciarelli (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort).

As they approached the first passage through Valdobbiadene, Spreafico lost contact definitively while Masciarelli (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort) was caught by Andrea Pietrobon (Team Polti VisitMalta). Their action was not very incisive and so the group of general classification contenders caught up with them and then, thirteen kilometers from the finish, also neutralized the beautiful and long attack by Ansaloni and Agostinacchio.

The group traveled compactly through the final kilometers of the race and, despite a crash slowing the pace of some riders, on the slightly uphill straightaway at Valdobbiadene there was a sprint.

Laurance thus reclaims the leader's jersey that he will wear tomorrow at the start of the final stage of the race: the Cormons / Gemona del Friuli stage of 165 kilometers.

To read the detailed race report of the stage click here

FINISHING ORDER

1 Laurance Axel INEOS Grenadiers 03:38:25

2 Schmid Mauro Team Jayco AlUla ,,

3 Lorello Riccardo S.C. Padovani Polo Cherry Bank ,,

4 Arrighetti Nicolò General Store - Essegibi - F.Lli Curia ,,

5 Bortoluzzi Giovanni General Store - Essegibi - F.Lli Curia ,,

6 Ulissi Diego XDS Astana Team ,,

7 Dati Tommaso Team UKYO ,,

8 Menghini Alessio Team Technipes #inEmiliaRomagna Caffè Borbone ,,

9 Turconi Filippo Bardiani CSF 7 Saber ,,

10 Iacomoni Federico Team UKYO ,,

Updates to follow