Description
June 17, 2023
Tour of Slovenia 2023 – Stage 4 – Ljubljana – Kobarid : 167 km
Slovenia’s flagship stage race regularly falls at the start of summer and just a couple of weeks before the biggest race of the year,
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June 17, 2023
Tour of Slovenia 2023 – Stage 4 – Ljubljana – Kobarid : 167 km
Slovenia’s flagship stage race regularly falls at the start of summer and just a couple of weeks before the biggest race of the year, the Tour de France. The race first debuted in 1993 and for its first 10 years it drew competition mainly from Slovenia and its closest neighbours. In 2005 it was upgraded to a 2.1 event by the UCI and added to their Europe Tour calendar. From then on it began to grow in prestige and by the 2010s it was drawing big-name riders from all over the world. In 2021 the race became part of the UCI’s new ProSeries – the highest tier of racing outside of the WorldTour. Over the five days of racing, riders are subject to a wide array of different stages – from flat stages near the Adriatic sea, to back-breaking stages in the heart of the Julian Alps. It’s these mountain stages which often dictate the overall outcome of the race, making it the preserve of world-class climbers and stage racing specialists.
Jesús David Peña (Jayco-AlUla) soloed to the first win of his pro career on stage 4 of the Tour of Slovenia, going clear 10km from the line in Kobarid.
Peña’s teammate Filippo Zana takes over the race lead after finishing 17 seconds down in the chase group on the mountainous queen stage.
Jayco-AlUla went to work on the second ascent of the day’s first-category climb at Kolovrat with the team pushing on at the front and both Peña and Zana getting away.
They’d go clear with Ben Zwiehoff (Bora-Hansgrohe), Paul Double (Human Powered Health) and Lorenzo Fortunato (Eolo-Kometa), while Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) would later make it across.
First-year pro Double went on the attack midway up the 10km 9% climb before Zana caught and passed him to go solo 4km from the top. His time at the front came to an end on the descent, though, with the Italian champion going straight at a corner and crashing, leaving Peña to come through and go clear.
Peña himself encountered problems during the run-in, with a gear problem hindering him as Ulissi and Fortunato drove the three-man chase group as Zana sat on.
The Colombian managed to hold on to the finish, though, with Zana coming through in the chase to grab second and the race lead. Ulissi rounded out the podium and he now lies second at a single second down on Zana.
Results :
 soloed to the first win of his pro career on stage 4 of the Tour of Slovenia, going clear 10km from the line in Kobarid.
Peña's teammate Filippo Zana takes over the race lead after finishing 17 seconds down in the chase group on the mountainous queen stage.
Jayco-AlUla went to work on the second ascent of the day's first-category climb at Kolovrat with the team pushing on at the front and both Peña and Zana getting away.
They'd go clear with Ben Zwiehoff (Bora-Hansgrohe), Paul Double (Human Powered Health) and Lorenzo Fortunato (Eolo-Kometa), while Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) would later make it across.
First-year pro Double went on the attack midway up the 10km 9% climb before Zana caught and passed him to go solo 4km from the top. His time at the front came to an end on the descent, though, with the Italian champion going straight at a corner and crashing, leaving Peña to come through and go clear.
Peña himself encountered problems during the run-in, with a gear problem hindering him as Ulissi and Fortunato drove the three-man chase group as Zana sat on.
The Colombian managed to hold on to the finish, though, with Zana coming through in the chase to grab second and the race lead. Ulissi rounded out the podium and he now lies second at a single second down on Zana.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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