🎥 Movistar blows up the peloton and destroys the sprint field — pink jersey and Bernal dropped
CyclingTuesday, 12 May 2026 at 17:12
The question heading into stage four of the Giro d'Italia was: what kind of rider would win? Sprinters had been hoping to survive the Cozzo Tunno, but the moment the climb began, Movistar laid down a murderous tempo. It swept virtually every fast man out of the back of the race — and even pink jersey holder Thomas Silva of XDS Astana cracked under the pressure. But the work went unrewarded: Orluis Aular came up just short.
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Lotto-Intermarché had initially set the tempo at the front, but Movistar's riders quickly took over in the service of Aular. That Dylan Groenewegen, Jonathan Milan and the unwell Arnaud De Lie were quickly dropped came as no surprise. But when Paul Magnier, Pascal Ackermann, Tobias Lund Andresen and Corbin Strong were also shelled out, the verdict was clear. Even Egan Bernal got into trouble and was forced to let the group go. The pace was simply ferocious.
Bernal eventually made it back after the summit, but Movistar's efforts had thinned the peloton to fewer than forty riders. In that reduced group, Aular appeared to be the fastest man — yet the pressure on his shoulders was immense. In the finale, his teammates were spent, forcing him to launch from too far out. It cost him the win, as Jhonatan Narváez of UAE Team Emirates-XRG came past him at great speed.
And so all that work counted for nothing. The Venezuelan champion had to settle for second place — but he could see that his team had made precious few mistakes. "We did everything we discussed in the meeting," he told CyclingPro.net. "The truth is: when we work like this, it shows. We'll keep trying."
Aular couldn't finish the job for Movistar: 'It was from too far out'
"It's such a shame," a breathless Aular admitted — before turning to the positives. "I didn't feel great for the first three days, but today I'm happy with how I felt. The race is still long, and I hope to get a little better every day. I hope that one day I can achieve my goal of winning a stage."
What ultimately proved the decisive blow was Jan Christen's late attack. The Swiss rider's acceleration at precisely the wrong moment disrupted Movistar's lead-out entirely. "The team lost a bit of its organisation at that point. But they worked so hard. I then tried to finish it off myself. I came out of the final corner in second place, and I thought I was one of the strongest. I tried — but it was from too far out."
Watch footage of the unloading sprinters here:
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Latest Comments
- - Van Aert saying this was his last realistic chance before the mountains and then delivering is peak Wout. If he’s already sprinting like this, can’t wait to see what he does on those punchy mountain finishes later in the week.raceready711-06-2026
- - Interesting contrast with stageyesterday’s break survives, today the teams don’t give them an inch. Bahrain, Tudor, and Visma clearly learned their lesson. Reinderink looked lively though — Soudal are getting him in the right moves.tourdeforce911-06-2026
- - Feel a bit bad for INEOS there — Tarling had the legs but that move totally boxed in Godon. Classic chaos in the final kilometre. Still, Hofstetter sneaking into second was impressive given how Visma controlled everything.sprocketspiny11-06-2026
- - What a clinic from Visma | Lease a Bike. Affini’s lead-out was ice-cold and Van Aert finished it off perfectly. You can tell he’s sharpening up for the Tour — picking his moments, staying patient, then boom. Also, shout-out to Armirail for that monster pull with 3 km to go.velodromevirtuoso111-06-2026
- - Quinn Simmons deserved the win—break had real horsepower—but I’m already excited for the next stages. If Visma gets their preferred scenario (smaller break), Wout’s right there for a proper shot. Great read, thanks Gauthier!pedalpowe2910-06-2026
- - The honesty from Wout is refreshing. Asking the team to trust him in the morning, then paying it back with legs in the finale—even if it’s only for 11th—says a lot. Paris-Roubaix winner doesn’t need to prove anything, but this shows the engine is back online.jennifer1910-06-2026
- - That was a textbook “too many in the move” scenario. Pairs up the road and half the peloton missing it—no way you bring that back without full cooperation. Still, Visma did a massive pull and Wout finished it off with the bunch sprint. Encouraging signs.bikebuffj10-06-2026
- - Loved seeing Wout smiling again. Winning the bunch sprint after the TTT struggles shows the form is coming. If he keeps building like this, the next real chance could turn into a win. Break was just stacked today.tourdeforce910-06-2026
- - The management changes are big news, but I like his perspective: day-to-day is about riders, DS, and coaches. Still, saying he’ll miss Guercilena shows maturity. If he keeps showing this level after his altitude block, I don’t see how they leave him off the Tour roster.robert6510-06-2026
- - Interesting that Wednesday wasn’t even his target stage. Sometimes the best wins come when you’re not forcing it. If Lidl-Trek is taking Ayuso and Skjelmose for GC, a Simmons in this kind of form feels like a perfect engine for break stages and tough transitional days in July.andrewf10-06-2026
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