A solid day out front for Rémy Rochas

# Rémy Rochas Shines in Challenging Stage of Tirreno-Adriatico

Stage four of the Tirreno-Adriatico proved to be a demanding yet rewarding outing for French climber Rémy Rochas. With the potential for a breakaway, Rochas and his team were determined to seize the day’s opportunities. Despite a valiant effort, the peloton ultimately foiled the escapees’ plans. In a fast-paced finish, Mathieu van der Poel emerged victorious, while Clément Braz Afonso crossed the line fourteen seconds later.

The fourth stage featured over 200 kilometers and more than 2,700 meters of elevation gain, challenging riders throughout the race. Two significant climbs marked the first half of the route before descending towards the Adriatic Sea. “We really wanted to get into the break because we thought there was a small chance it could go all the way,” said Yvon Caër, a member of Rochas’s team.

As early as three to four kilometers into the race, an eleven-rider breakaway formed, leaving Rochas and his teammates scrambling to respond. “I tried to make some counter attacks in the peloton several times. I attacked myself at one point but unfortunately the peloton stopped right behind me,” Rochas explained. “I found myself alone about ten kilometers from the bottom of the climb. I was already a minute behind, and it was quite complicated with my small build against the stronger riders who were up the road.”

After an intense thirty-minute solo chase, Rochas finally joined the breakaway and secured second place over the top of the first climb. Yvon Caër added, “At the start of the week we said we would try to take every opportunity, and he went for the mountain points to give himself a target.” However, as the race progressed, it became apparent that the peloton had no intention of allowing the break to succeed.

The gap narrowed significantly as the riders approached the coast, and the breakaway began to fracture. “We had a good day out front and worked well together, until the final part where things became a bit more disorganized,” Rochas shared. As fatigue set in, he was eventually caught by the peloton twenty-five kilometers from the finish.

Despite the challenges faced early in the season, Rochas expressed a positive outlook, stating, “I struggled a bit at the start of the season, but my form is gradually coming back. Today I felt really good and the goal will be to try to seize other opportunities towards the end of the week.”

The final climb in Tortoreto (1.5 km at 8.4%) intensified the race, with the peloton surging ahead as positioning became critical. “We came into the climb quite far back, although it was difficult to do much better. We had to make a big effort,” Yvon admitted. While Clément Braz managed to reconnect with the group of favorites, he lacked the necessary power when the race truly intensified. Ultimately, he finished in a chasing group twenty seconds behind the lead contenders.

Although it was a frustrated day for the team, Yvon commended his riders: “I really appreciated the boys’ commitment from start to finish.” Looking ahead, Yvon remarked, “We’ll make clearer choices over the next two days so that he’s better positioned at the foot of the climbs, but we’re not ruling out him going in the breakaway either. We need to keep racing aggressively and fight with the means we have.”

With several stages remaining, the focus remains on aggressive racing and capitalizing on future opportunities.