Vine hopes to push on for the leader’s jersey after stage win in Tour de Romandie: "Everything to make a play tomorrow"

And go for it he did in the final kilometer. The favorites, including Remco Evenepoel, couldn’t follow his acceleration. Did he know at that moment that he had it in the bag? “Not at all. Yesterday I thought I’d create a gap and stay away, but I didn’t. This time there was hesitation in the group. I’m not that smart, and I didn’t know if it was 1 kilometer to the top or 1 kilometer to the finish. But I knew that was the moment to go. I took my chance, and when I reached the left-hand bend, I knew it would flatten out. That’s when I felt relatively safe.”

With the Giro d’Italia just around the corner, Jay Vine couldn’t be happier. “It’s amazing. It’s been a long road back after my neck injury, but hopefully in a few days I’ll be starting my second Giro d’Italia. It’s incredible, this is my third win of the year and my first WorldTour victory in a long time. And I know my son and wife are watching from home.” Earlier this season, the 29-year-old Australian already won two stages in the Settimana Coppi e Bartali.

Saturday brings the queen stage, followed by a time trial on Sunday to close out the Tour de Romandie. Vine is full of confidence and sees both himself and teammate João Almeida in a great position. “We’ve got everything to make a play tomorrow. And then the time trial on Sunday, I’m really looking forward to that too, especially with the Giro in mind. A beautiful climbing day tomorrow, and a time trial on Sunday: the general classification is still wide open,” he concluded.