After a seventh place in the first stage and a fifth in the third, Marco Manenti further improved his record at the Baku-Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Race by hitting the jackpot today. At Naftalan, the finish line of the fourth stage of the Azerbaijani race, the twenty-three-year-old from Bergamo of Bardiani CSF 7 Saber displayed a perfect sprint that, bringing him to the finish ahead of Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana) and Cristian David Pita (Roojai Insurance Winspace), earned him not only his first success in the race but also, most importantly, his first victory in a professional career.

THE RACE

Numerous attacks and counterattacks were registered on the road to the first categorized climb scheduled, and after about thirty kilometers the breakaway of the day manages to get away. It consists of Pablo Carrascosa (Equipo Kern Pharma), Jambaljamts Sainbayar (Burgos Burpellet BH), Raman Tsishkou (Li-Ning Star Cycling Team), Juan Pedro Lozano (Terengganu Cycling Team), Jaebin Yun (Roojai Insurance Winspace), Fabrice Lefevre (Tarteletto - Isorex), Antoni Muryj (Mazowsze Serce Polski), Ahmet Örken (Spor Toto Cycling Team), Feri Febi Saputra (ASC Monsters Indonesia) and David Alejandro Gonzalez (Team Medellín - EPM) who, despite not finding great agreement at times, manage to gain almost three minutes of advantage.

Behind them, the XDS Astana of general classification leader Yevgeniy Fedorov controls the situation from a distance by taking the lead of the group and thus preventing the breakaway riders from having too large a gap.

With just under two minutes separating attackers and pursuers, they arrive at the last short but difficult second-category climb where, as expected, the stage heats up. Up front, David Alejandro Gonzalez (Team Medellín - EPM) and Pablo Carrascosa (Equipo Kern Pharma) drop their other breakaway companions, continuing their ride as a pair, while behind the group thins out and, losing several riders (including two-time stage winner here Gleb Syritsa), significantly reduces the gap to the fugitives.

It is the men of Bardiani CSF 7 Saber and Burgos Burpellet BH who then give new impetus to the chase of the peloton in the subsequent descent and false flat section, which, now much more substantial, reabsorbs the two scouts at 13 kilometers from the finish. The courageous attack by Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma) is neutralized at the -2 km mark, so for the third day out of four everything is decided in the sprint where, prevailing by force over the more experienced and favored Mulubrhan and Pita, Manenti stamps the second success of the season for Bardiani, the first at the personal level among the professionals.

The victory, achieved in the sprint just like the first stage of the Tour of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region that he won last year, allows the rider from Bergamo to take the lead in the points classification one stage from the end and thus bring him closer to the second personal satisfaction of this Asian trip.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Marco Manenti (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) — 3:11:46

2. Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana Team) — s.t.

3. Cristian David Pita (Roojai Insurance Winspace) — s.t.

4. Sander Inion (Madar Pro Cycling Team) — s.t.

5. Muhammad Hafizh (ASC Monsters Indonesia) — s.t.

6. Hugo Aznar (Equipo Kern Pharma) — s.t.

7. Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana Team) — s.t.

8. Franciszek Kaczorowski (Mazowsze Serce Polski) — s.t.

9. Fabrice Lefevre (Tarteletto - Isorex) — s.t.

10. Tilen Finkšt (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) — s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana Team) — 14:49:59

2. Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) — 0:08

3. Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana Team) — 0:08

4. Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH) — 0:15

5. Aaron Gate (XDS Astana Team) — 0:16

6. Hugo Aznar (Equipo Kern Pharma) — 0:18

7. Luca Covili (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) — 0:19

8. Urko Berrade (Equipo Kern Pharma) — 0:19

9. Lennert Teugels (Tarteletto - Isorex) — 0:19

10. Cristian Raileanu (Li Ning Star) — 0:19