The Italian jumped to second on the general classification after four days.
Mattia Cattaneo confirmed his prowess against the clock, taking a solid fourth on the 31.9km stage 4 against the clock – one of the season’s longest individual time trials. The last Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider to roll down the ramp, the Italian wasn’t particularly favoured by the pan-flat course between Montbrison and La Bâtie d’Urfé, but this didn’t stop him from producing his best ITT at World Tour level.
After setting solid top 5 times at both intermediate checkpoints, Mattia stopped the clock in 36:11 at the finish thanks to a stunning ride which saw him average close to 53km/h, enough to put him third provisional. Of the riders that left the start house in the last hour of the stage, many of whom were strong GC contenders, only the yellow jersey could pass him in the classification, where the 31-year-old from Alzano Lombardo concluded fourth.
“I am very happy with this result, because it reflects all the hard work I have put in on my time trial bike. Since joining the Wolfpack, the team placed their trust in me and I am delighted I could show my progress in this discipline that I like so much, against many specialists of the time trial. Every ITT I do makes me more confident in myself, and after today, I hope other good results will follow for the squad this week”, said Mattia, who sits a remarkable second overall halfway through the race.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
