XDS Astana's Scaroni takes 3rd in dramatic Itzulia Basque Country Stage 4

The finale of Stage 4 of the Itzulia Basque Country unfolded dramatically. On the final climb of the day, two riders managed to gain a small advantage over the chasing group, which included two XDS Astana Team riders, Christian Scaroni and Lorenzo Fortunato. However, with one kilometer to go, the chasers almost caught the leaders, and shortly before the finish, Scaroni bridged across to the front. In the final sprint, Spaniard Alex Aranburu took the victory, while Christian Scaroni, who fought for the win until the very last meters, finished third. Lorenzo Fortunato placed ninth.

“Yes, it’s disappointing not to win today. At the finish, I did everything I could, but it wasn’t enough. At the top of the final climb, I just missed the wheel of Johannessen. Then we organized the chase, and on the final kilometer, we almost caught the leaders. The finish was on a solid uphill, and we had to take it at high speed, which really hit the legs. I still managed to bridge across and catch the two leaders, but I couldn’t do more. In the end, I’m third. It’s not a bad result overall for today’s stage, but the win was close. There are still two stages to go, so we’ll see if we get another chance to fight for victory," said Christian Scaroni.

With two stages remaining, two other XDS Astana Team riders, Harold Tejada and Clément Champoussin, sit 8th and 10th respectively in the General Classification. XDS Astana Team leads the team classification.

Earlier, Qazinform reported that Kazakhstan and Canada split the opening day of the Billie Jean King Cup.