This is how Quinn Simmons looked forward to a big victory in the jersey of the US national champion. Photo: Profimedia
American national champion hero of the fourth stage
The American Quinn Simmons is the winner of the 4th stage of the Auvergne–Rhône–Alpes bicycle race, or the former criterium after Dauphiné. The Lidl-Trek rider won the breakaway group sprint on the 167-kilometer test between Le Puy-en-Velay and Montrond-les-Bains. Frenchman Alex Baudin (EF Education-EasyPost) retained the overall lead.
On a fairly uneventful route, which had another descent and more than 30 km of flat in the last 50 km, 12 cyclists initially escaped, and in the last ten kilometers ten came, who had an advantage of about half a minute over the main group.
This was barely enough for the escapers to settle for the stage victory. They reached the finish line only four seconds ahead of the main group, and the strongest in the sprint was the 25-year-old Simmons, who registered the eighth victory of his career. The second place in the stage was won by New Zealander Finn Fisher-Black, and the third by Frenchman Matteo Vercher.
The Slovenians were not in the forefront this time either
Of the Slovenians, this time Matevž Govekar (Bahrain Victorious) was the highest in 33rd place, Gal Glivar (Alpecin) was 67th, and Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) was 68th.
In total, Baudin has a 12-second lead over compatriot Kevin Vauquelin and Britain’s Oscar Conley, American Matteo Jorgenson is 15 seconds behind, and the race’s first favorite, Frenchman Paul Seixas, is exactly a minute behind in 10th place. Mohorič is 58th (+14:56), Glivar is 64th (+15:48), and Govekar is 126th (39:02).
On Thursday, the cyclists will once again have a mostly flat stage, and the final winner will be decided in the last three mountain stages with the goals at Crest-Voland, Grand Colombier and the Solaison pass, where the cyclists will compete in the race in France in a good month.
