Tour of Guangxi stage 4: Enric Mas takes hilltop finish and leader’s jersey
Mas takes the first climbing stage of the race and secures his first win of the season.
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Enric Mas (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) continued his team’s stellar season late into the year with victory on the summit finish at Nongla Scenic Area, Sunday.
The Spaniard beat Danny Martinez (EF Education First) to the top of the steep slopes of the first summit finish of the Tour of Guangxi, with Diego Rosa (Ineos) a handful of seconds back in third. The victory means Mas takes the leader’s jersey from Pascal Ackerman (Bora-Hansgrohe).
The stage was the first of the Chinese tour to not finish with a sprint, finishing with a punchy 4.5km climb to the Nongla Scenic Area.
After the main break of the day was caught, the bunch came to the base of the climb together. The peloton fractured at the base of the climb, and Remi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) attacked as the gradient kicked. He built a good gap over a chase group of around 20, though was caught with just 1.5km to go.
Antwan Tolhoek (Jumbo-Visma) attacked from the reformed bunch and Mas and Martinez abridged across. The Dutchman faded fast, and it was left to Mas and Martinez to contest the stage.
Mas kicked late on the final ramp to the finish line and was able to distance Martinez to take his first win of the season.
2020 will see the 24-year-old leading the GC battle for his new team Movistar, alongside countryman Alejandro Valverde.
“My season was a solid and consistent one, but truth being told, I was missing a victory, and to get it now, in my last race of the year and my final outing for this fantastic squad, feels really great,” he said.
Stage 5 will see more climbing in a long 212km stage to Guilin.
GC after stage 4
- Enric Mas (Deceuninck-Quick-Step): 13:50:50
- Danny Martinez (EF Education First): +0:00:05
- Diego Rosa (Ineos): +0:00:14
