Saudi Tour 2022 – Stage 4 [FULL STAGE]

February 4, 2022

Saudi Tour 2022 – Stage 4 – Winter Park – Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid : 149,3 km

The Saudi Tour was first held back in 1999, but it wasn’t until 2020 that it joined the UCI Asia Tour and really established itself as an international stage race.

Lotto Soudal won their second stage at the Saudi Tour after Maxim Van Gils soloed to victory on stage 4 at the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid.

The 22-year-old second-year pro followed Andrea Bagioli’s (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) attack on the double-digit gradient slopes of the main climb of the day, 10 kilometres from the finish before the Italian cracked under pressure from the Belgian, leaving Van Gils to ride alone to the finish.

Luka Mezgec (BikeExchange-Jayco) took second place ahead of Tim Declercq (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl), though at 40 seconds back it means that Van Gils is the new race leader.

He heads into Saturday’s final stage with a 36-second advantage over second-placed Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), while Rui Costa (UAE Team Emirates) is third at 48 seconds.

Earlier in the day, the wind provoked echelons and splits in the peloton, with Buitrago on the wrong side of a move which saw Van Gils, Oss, Mezgec and the majority of QuickStep-AlphaVinyl get up the road.

The winning move was made on the three-kilometre climb at the end of the stage from the group largely made up of non-climbers. There, the average gradient of 12 per cent enough for Van Gils to push on and build an insurmountable lead to take his first career victory.

Buitrago and Costa would eventually make it back to the group, taking advantage of the steep slopes to do so, though by that time the winning move – and the race lead – had already gone.

Results :
1 Maxim Van Gils (Bel) Lotto Soudal 03:32:39
2 Luka Mezgec (Slo) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:00:40
3 Tim Declercq (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
4 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
5 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates
6 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
7 Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis
8 Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious
9 Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:00:44
10 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) TotalEnergies 00:01:19
11 Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
12 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:01:20
13 Donavan Grondin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 00:01:29
14 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
15 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
16 Lawson Craddock (USA) BikeExchange-Jayco
17 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
18 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM
19 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
20 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
21 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:01:32
22 Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:02:48
23 Filip Maciejuk (Pol) Bahrain Victorious
24 Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) TotalEnergies
25 Niki Terpstra (Ned) TotalEnergies 00:03:35
26 Alex Edmondson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
27 Edward Planckaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 00:04:12
28 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
29 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
30 Michael Hepburn (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
31 Alberto Dainese (Ita) Team DSM
32 Capser van Uden (Ned) Team DSM 00:06:00
33 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
34 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:06:03
35 Sam Welsford (Aus) Team DSM
36 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
37 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
38 Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal
39 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
40 Alexander Konychev (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco
41 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:07:37
42 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
43 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
44 Yousif Mirza Al-Hammadi (UAE) UAE Team Emirates
45 Felix Groß (Ger) UAE Team Emirates 00:09:29
46 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates
47 Max Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
48 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix 00:10:38
49 Martin Urianstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
50 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
51 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
52 Jordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:10:56
53 Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe
54 Jan Maas (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:11:25
55 Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
56 Victor de la Parte (Spa) TotalEnergies
57 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:12:21
58 Maurice Ballerstedt (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
59 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Cofidis
60 Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
61 Niklas Märkl (Ger) Team DSM
62 Jarrad Drizners (Aus) Lotto Soudal
63 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis
64 Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:12:51
65 Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
66 Markus Pajur (Est) Arkea-Samsic 00:13:47
67 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team
68 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Cofidis
69 Syver Wærsted (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
70 Julius Jayde (RSA) Kuwait Pro Cycling
71 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Bahrain Victorious
72 Tim Naberman (Ned) Team DSM
73 Axel Zingle (Fra) Cofidis
74 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team DSM
75 Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team
76 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:14:39
77 Daniel McLay (GBr) Arkea-Samsic
78 James Jobber (GBr) Kuwait Pro Cycling
79 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM
80 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
81 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
82 Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:15:30
83 Polychronis Tzortzakis (Gre) Kuwait Pro Cycling
84 Nico Denz (Ger) Team DSM
85 Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:15:33
86 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 00:15:41
87 Abdulhadi Alajmi (Kuw) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:20:20
88 Muhamad Afiq Huznie Othman (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team
89 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team
DNS Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious
DNF Matthew Clements (GBr) Kuwait Pro Cycling

General Classification after Stage 4 :
1 Maxim Van Gils (Bel) Lotto Soudal 17:09:38
2 Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious 00:00:36
3 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:48
4 Tim Declercq (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:00:52
5 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:57
6 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
7 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:01:29
8 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) TotalEnergies 00:01:36
9 Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis 00:01:45
10 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis 00:01:46
11 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
12 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
13 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:01:51
14 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Bahrain Victorious 00:02:11
15 Donavan Grondin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 00:02:13
16 Lawson Craddock (USA) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:02:33
17 Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:02:58
18 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 00:03:22
19 Luka Mezgec (Slo) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:03:30
20 Filip Maciejuk (Pol) Bahrain Victorious 00:03:48
21 Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:04:56
22 Alex Edmondson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:05:12
23 Alberto Dainese (Ita) Team DSM 00:05:17
24 Edward Planckaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
25 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates 00:06:17
26 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:07:33
27 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:07:42
28 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:08:04
29 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:08:12
30 Capser van Uden (Ned) Team DSM 00:08:22
31 Michael Hepburn (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:08:33
32 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies 00:08:52
33 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies 00:08:58
34 Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal 00:09:51
35 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates 00:09:57
36 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:10:12
37 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:10:35
38 Alexander Konychev (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:10:58
39 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:11:03
40 Max Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates 00:11:08
41 Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) TotalEnergies 00:11:17
42 Sam Welsford (Aus) Team DSM 00:11:26
43 Yousif Mirza Al-Hammadi (UAE) UAE Team Emirates 00:11:38
44 Victor de la Parte (Spa) TotalEnergies 00:12:09
45 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis 00:12:38
46 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:12:48
47 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:13:03
48 Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:13:05
49 Niki Terpstra (Ned) TotalEnergies 00:13:40
50 Jordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:13:48
51 Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious 00:13:56
52 Felix Groß (Ger) UAE Team Emirates 00:14:26
53 Martin Urianstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:14:34
54 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix 00:15:09
55 Maurice Ballerstedt (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix 00:15:27
56 Jan Maas (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:15:31
57 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team DSM 00:15:37
58 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 00:15:40
59 Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:15:47
60 Markus Pajur (Est) Arkea-Samsic 00:16:01
61 Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:16:05
62 Niklas Märkl (Ger) Team DSM 00:16:22
63 Axel Zingle (Fra) Cofidis 00:16:26
64 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:16:39
65 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Bahrain Victorious 00:16:52
66 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Cofidis 00:17:18
67 Tim Naberman (Ned) Team DSM 00:17:42
68 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:17:52
69 Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:18:06
70 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Cofidis 00:18:18
71 Daniel McLay (GBr) Arkea-Samsic 00:18:21
72 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Arkea-Samsic 00:18:38
73 Julius Jayde (RSA) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:19:05
74 Nico Denz (Ger) Team DSM 00:19:25
75 Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:20:02
76 Jarrad Drizners (Aus) Lotto Soudal 00:20:30
77 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:20:37
78 Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:20:47
79 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:20:55
80 Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:22:07
81 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:24:38
82 James Jobber (GBr) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:25:22
83 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:27:36
84 Syver Wærsted (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:29:17
85 Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:29:44
86 Abdulhadi Alajmi (Kuw) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:31:37
87 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:34:47
88 Polychronis Tzortzakis (Gre) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:35:51
89 Muhamad Afiq Huznie Othman (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:38:42