Luciano Pagliarini took a convincing sprint win at the conclusion of stage 4 of the Tour of Missouri on Friday, moving into a tie atop the points jersey standings in the process.

Pagliarini charges to the line.

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

The Brazilian Prodir-Saunier Duval rider blasted straight up the gut of the finishing straight of Columbia’s East Walnut Street, lunging his bike across the line ahead of Canadian Andrew Pinfold (Symmetrics) and Cuban Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United), who were a distant second and third respectively.

“Coming into the last turn with 500 meters to go I was on the back,” explained the stage winner. “But I saw a little room and it was the right moment. My condition is very good right now and I knew this stage was good for me.”

Pagliarini and Dominguez are now tied with 25 points each — and each has a stage win — but Pagliarini was awarded the jersey because of his more recent victory.

Pagliarini’s triumph also gave the ProTour contingent in Missouri a 3-to-1 stage win advantage in this 562.2-mile, six-day race that concludes Sunday in St. Louis. Domestic pro Dominguez took stage 1, but Discovery Channel's George Hincapie and Levi Leipheimer grabbed stages 2 and 3.

Hincapie's stage 2 win also vaulted him into the overall race lead, a position he solidified during Thursday’s time trail, and then comfortably maintained during Friday's windswept 133.4-mile rolling trek from Lebanon to Columbia. The American sits alone atop the overall standings, 1:40 ahead of Will Frischkorn (Slipstream), with Spaniard David Cañada (Prodir-Saunier Duval) third at 2:22.

“The team is great. Everyone is working well,” said Hincapie, who spent the day sheltered by the likes of Alberto Contador and Leipheimer. “I have the reigning Tour de France champion bringing me bottles. That’s not a normal thing, but it’s a great honor to lead the race. I will do everything I can to keep the jersey.”

Racing kicked off at 10:30 a.m. under sunny skies. After the standard flurry of early attacks, reel-ins and counter attacks, the move of the day came together at the 49-mile mark when Slipstream teammates Timmy Duggan and Steven Cozza launched a move just as an earlier break was being absorbed. That drew out a host of chasers that included Cameron Jennings (DFL-Cyclingnews), Jeff Louder (Health Net-Maxxis), Darren Lill (Navigators), Justin England (Toyota-United), Jacob Rosenbarger (BMC) and Daniel Vaillancourt (Colavita-Sutter Home). Soon there was a group of eight off the front and working well together.

Eight became 10 when chasers Hector Rangel (Tecos) and Ryder Hesjedal (Health Net-Maxxis) bridged across.

Who's the wise guy who said this race had nuthin' but flat stages?

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

“It took a long time for breakaway to finally go,” explained Hincapie. “It was tough because of wind and rolling terrain. We didn’t mind if a breakaway goes. We have a comfortable lead, so we just have to make sure nobody dangerous gets a way.”

With Duggan the best placed on GC, 17th at 14:54, there was no danger in the break. The move had 2:50 at the 67-mile mark and the gap was above four minutes when the leaders passed through the second feedzone with 98 miles in the books.

“It was very undulating, which makes it harder than regular hills,” said Health Net’s Louder, who took top points on the day’s lone KoM to expand his overall lead in the climber’s category. “It was just short little climbs than quick descents, then immediately uphill again. Add the headwind and it makes the climbing a little harder.”

For the final chase, Prodir, Symmetrics, and Kodak come to the front.

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

The gap never got above five minutes, and the prospect of a potential stage win was too good to pass up. Prodir was the first to come forward in the bunch, but they were soon joined by Toyota-Untied, Symmetrics and several others. Slowly the deficit came down, with the catch finally coming inside the 10km-to-go mark.

“That was pretty close to the longest stage I have ever done,” said Cozza, leader of the best young rider competition. “I’ve done a few double centuries, so I was prepared. But it was hard. Hopefully I can reenergize for tomorrow.”

With the field all together again, the final three kilometers saw several last-gasp escape attempts, including one by Canadian Svein Tuft that nearly stuck. Symmetrics' brawny British Columbian charged off the front with about 800 meters to go and opened a 100-meter gap.

But after watching his team put in a major late-race effort to chase down the day's prominent breakaway, Pagliarini wasn't going to let opportunity slip away. The ever-smiling Brazilian emerged from a scrambled bunch, overtook Tuft, and then rode away from the field.

Another thing you won't see at the TdF.

Photo: Casey B. Gibson

“I am so happy to win here,” he said. “This is a very good race, very well organized.”

Next up at the Tour Missouri is Saturday's stage 5 run from Jefferson City to St. Charles. The 126.6-mile trek includes two sprint points and a trifecta of unrated KoM climbs. Racing starts at 11:30 a.m. in the shadow of the Missouri's state capitol building. The first 25 miles are dead flat before giving way to the rolling roads that characterized much of stage 4.

Saturday's course meanders along the Missouri River, passing through the heart of the Show Me State's wine country, hitting Augusta, Herman and Washington en route to the finishline in historic St. Charles, the second oldest American settlement west of the Mississippi. The race passes near Daniel Boone's home and includes a quarter-mile stretch of bricks on St. Charles' historic Main Street. With an estimated 6000-feet of climbing, there is certainly a chance for a breakaway to stay away. Expected finish time is 3:40 p.m.

Results, Stage 4
1. Luciano Pagliarini (Brz), Prodir, 5:07:52
2. Andrew Pinfold (CAN), Symmetrics, 5:07:52
3. Ivan Dominguez (CUB), Toyota-United, 5:07:52
4. Charles Dionne (CAN), Colavita/Sutter Home, 5:07:52
5. Sebastian Frey (G), Sparkasse, 5:07:52
6. Sergey Lagutin (UZB), Navigators, 5:07:52
7. Davide Frattini (I), Colavita/Sutter Home, 5:07:52
8. Dominique Rollin (CAN), KodakGallery, 5:07:52
9. Karl Menzies (Aus), Health Net, 5:07:52
10. Michael Sayers (USA), BMC, 5:07:52
Overall, after Stage 4
1. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery, 13:30:26
2. William Frischkorn (USA), Slipstream, 1:40
3. David Canada (Sp), Prodir, 2:22
4. Dominique Rollin (CAN), KodakGallery, 2:23
5. Michael Friedman (USA), Slipstream, 2:48
6. Frank Pipp (USA), Health Net, 2:57
7. Valeriy Kobzarenko (Ukr), Navigators, 3:04
8. Andrew Randell (CAN), Symmetrics, 3:48
9. Stefan Parinussa (G), Sparkasse, 4:20
10. Matthew Rice (Aus), Jelly Belly, 6:21
To see how today's stage developed, simply CLICKHERE to open our Live Update Window.