Brady Gilmore wins Circuit des Ardennes Stage 4 to extend GC lead
Brady Gilmore claimed his fifth victory of 2025 on Saturday and moved a step closer to succeeding IPT rider Joe Blackmore as Circuit des Ardennes champion.
Having placed in the top three in all of the race’s opening stages before today, Gilmore sprinted to win Stage 4 of the 2.2-ranked race in northeastern France on Saturday.
By virtue of the 10-second time bonus on the line, the 23-year-old Australian extended his GC advantage to nine seconds over nearest rival – climber Jarno Widar (LOD) – with just one relatively straightforward stage remaining.
”Today was probably the most stressful day of the race so far because of the profile and the climbs,” he says. ”Jarno was trying to get rid of me all day!
”All the boys came together and executed it perfectly. The teamwork was awesome.”
The impressive IPT Academy performance was not without its challenges. Widar’s climbing prowess saw him crest the top of the first category Col du Liry first, picking up a time bonus that moved him into the virtual yellow jersey.
Gilmore adds: ”I had to repay my teammates for their work by winning the stage and taking back the jersey.
”I just never gave up and I kept on believing that I could get it done.”
This latest victory follows Gilmore’s back-to-back triumph at the Tour du Rwanda in February, and a GC and stage win in last month’s Tour du Taiwan. Prior to the start of the season, he had never taken a professional win.
Gilmore is aware that Blackmore, one of the team’s most recent Academy graduates, won this race 12 months ago prior to stepping up to the Pro Team.
One advantage that Gilmore has over Blackmore is that he leads the GC going into the final stage, whereas the British rider trailed by seven seconds.
“Winning the GC would mean everything because it shows I can win in Europe, not just in Taiwan and Rwanda,” Gilmore adds.
Photos: Alexis Dancerelle
