Alberto Contador Wins Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 4

AFP/Yuzuru Sunada

Spaniard Alberto Contador of the Tinkoff team closed the gap on race leader Michal Kwiatkowski by winning the fourth stage of the the Tirreno-Adriatico race on Saturday. The two-time Tour de France winner finished just ahead of Colombian Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Spaniard Daniel Moreno (Katusha) after the 244km run from Indicatore to Cittareale Selvarotonda. Poland’s Kwiatkowski, riding for Omega Pharma QuickStep, finished seventh in the stage to see his lead cut to just 16 seconds on second-placed Contador.

Contador, 31, is bidding to get his career back on track after serving a two-year ban for testing positive for clenbuterol on the 2010 Tour de France. He didn’t enjoy the best 2013 season on the road as he finished a disappointing fourth in his quest for a third Tour de France victory and decided against defending his Vuelta a Espana title.

Sunday’s fifth stage will cover 192km between Amatrice and Guardiagrele.

Tirreno_Adriatico Stage 4
1. Alberto Contador (ESP/SAX) 6:39:56
2. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) @ :01
3. Daniel Moreno (ESP/KAT) @ :05
4. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/SAX) @ s.t.
5. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY)
6. Michele Scarponi (ITA/AST) @ :08
7. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/OPQ) @ :10
8. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/RSH) @ s.t.
9. Chris Horner (USA/LAM) @ s.t.
10. Giampaolo Caruso (ITA/KAT) @ :17

General Classification After Stage 4
1. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/OPQ) 16:06:42
2. Alberto Contador (ESP/SAX) @ :16
3. Nairo Quintana (COL/MOV) @ :23
4. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) @ :34
5. Rigoberto Uran (COL/OPQ) @ :38
6. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/SAX) @ :39
7. Robert Kiserlovski (CRO/RSH) @ :49
8. Moreno Moser (ITA/CAN) @ 1:01
9. Mikel Nieve (ESP/SKY) @ 1:02
10. Julian Arredondo (COL/RSH) @ 1:03