Nordhagen impresses with second place in O Gran Camiño’s queen stage

# Nordhagen Secures Impressive Second Place in O Gran Camiño’s Challenging Queen Stage

In a thrilling display of endurance and strategy, Jørgen Nordhagen claimed a notable second place during the queen stage of O Gran Camiño, marked by a demanding ascent on the Alto Cabeza de Meda. Nordhagen began the grueling fourth stage alongside General Classification (GC) leader Alessandro Pinarello, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike taking decisive control halfway up the initial ascent to reel in the breakaway group early on.

The race took a dramatic turn with twenty kilometers remaining, when Anton Schiffer and George Bennett launched an attack, temporarily gaining a maximum lead of thirty seconds. However, they were soon caught on the steep slopes of the final ascent of Alto Cabeza de Meda. Adam Yates took advantage of this moment, accelerating past his rivals and establishing a commanding lead.

Nordhagen, riding at his own pace, managed to stay within striking distance of Yates for a considerable part of the climb. Yet, in the last kilometer, he started to concede time and ultimately crossed the finish line three-quarters of a minute behind the day’s winner. “Adam was the strongest today and deserved to win. That’s the honest story,” Nordhagen reflected. He added, “I can’t blame myself for anything. On the final climb, I decided not to go full throttle straight away, because I knew I might burn myself out.”

Sports Director Robert Wagner expressed pride in the team’s performance despite not clinching the top spot. “Of course we wanted to win today and take the yellow jersey, but we also knew Adam would be a worthy opponent. He deserved to win today. I’m proud of the way we approached the race. We made a plan this morning and executed it from start to finish. Some of the lads are really coming into their own here. It’s fantastic to see.”

With one stage remaining, Nordhagen trails Yates by 34 seconds. The young Norwegian remains optimistic, stating, “I’ve got nothing to lose tomorrow. I’m going to ride aggressively and try to make things as difficult as possible for Adam. Adam has shown himself to be very strong, so I know it will be difficult to beat him. Nevertheless, I’m going to do my absolute best to win.”

### Stage 4 Results
1. **Adam Yates** (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) — 03:37:18
2. **Jørgen Nordhagen** (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) — +00:00:46
3. **Alessandro Pinarello** (NSN Cycling Team) — +00:01:04

As the final stage approaches, the anticipation mounts for what could become a dramatic conclusion to O Gran Camiño.