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After an active stage yesterday today looked like a more predictable day with most expecting it to come down to a reduced bunch sprint. After some unsuccesful breakaway attempts Bizkaia Durango's Yulia Iliynikh got away about halfway into the stage
via velofocus.com
Iliynikh built a lead of up to three minutes at one point but as the peloton made it's way up the small climb of the day the gap started to come down, partly under the pressure of Hitec Products. She held off to grab the mountain points 10 km from the finish but by the time the riders came off the descent she was caught and things were lined up for the expected sprint finish. The slight uphill sprint resulted in a narrow win for Marianne Vos who just held off Shelley Olds of AleCipollini and her own teammate Lucinda Brand. Vos tried gifting her teammate the win but seeing Olds coming with speed had to accelerate to save the day for Rabo. Unlucky for the already celebrating Brand but once again a testament to the strength of Marianne Vos.
STAGE 4 RESULT:
- Marianne Vos
- Shelley Olds
- Lucinda Brand
- Emma Johansson
- Jolien D'Hoore
- Marta Tagliaferro
- Elisa Longo-Borghini
- Pauline Ferrand Prevot
- Simona Frapporti
- Barbara Guarischi
Photos on Velofocus and Wei Yuet Wong
Rabo video, with Brand & Vos talking about the finish
- Vos
- Ferrand-Prevot + 31 sec
- Longo Borghini + 39 sec
- Van Vleuten + 1.51 min
- Johansson + 2 min
- Guarnier + 2
- Lichtenberg (Häusler) +2.03
- Van der Breggen + 2.04
- Moolman + 2.08
- Cordon + 2.34