Daniele Bennati edges closer to Simon Gerrans’ lead ahead of afternoon time trial
Sacha Modolo (Colnago-CSF Inox) showed once again that he is the sprinter to beat in this year’s Tour of Denmark, taking his second victory of the race in the short fourth stage between Sorø and Frederiksværk. The Italian was the fastest on the uphill finishing straight at the end of the 111km stage, with Jure Kocjan (Team Type 1-Sanofi Aventis) in second and Daniele Bennati (Leopard Trek) in third.
After 12km Jens Erik Madsen (Team Concordia Forsikring-Himmerland) and Kristian Sobota (Christina Watches-Onfone) escaped. They were soon joined by Martin Mortensen (Leopard Trek), Preben Van Hecke (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) and Daniel Foder (Glud & Marstrand-LRØ Rådgivning) and after 31km they had a lead of three minutes, despite the high speed of the peloton.
After 38km though, Foder lost contact with the breakaway group and the lead began to come down thanks to work from race leader Simon Gerrans’ Team Sky and Modolo’s Colnago-CSF Inox. The four riders were still working hard though and, largely thanks to the strength of Mortensen, they still led by a minute with 20km to go.
As the leaders hit the hilly 4.3km finishing circuit though, they began to split up with Sobota, then Madsen, losing contact on the climb. On the last of the three laps Mortensen went alone but, with Saxo Bank-SunGard also chasing behind him, he was steadily reeled in.
The Dane was finally, heartbreakingly, caught with just 300 metres to go.
On the uphill sprint Modolo took the wheel of Bennati, and came past his compatriot in the last 50 metres to take his second stage of the race. As Bennati faded Kocjan came past to take second place.
A two-second time bonus on the line for third place means that Bennati moves closer to Gerrans in the overall classification, and is now just six seconds back in third place. With Matti Breschel (Rabobank) in second place, just four seconds behind Gerrans, there will be all to play for in the afternoon’s 13.2km time trial.
Result stage 4
1. Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago-CSF Inox
2. Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1-Sanofi Aventis
3. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek
4. Manuel Belletti (Ita) Colnago-CSF Inox
5. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM
6. Matti Breschel (Den) Rabobank
7. Daniele Colli (Ita) Geox-TMC
8. Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator
9. Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) Team Type 1-Sanofi Aventis
10. Michael Mørkøv (Den) Saxo Bank-SunGard
Standings after stage 4
1. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Team Sky
2. Matti Breschel (Den) Rabobank @ 4s
3. Daniele Bennati (Ita) Leopard Trek @ 6s
4. Michael Mørkøv (Den) Saxo Bank-SunGard @ 9s
5. Bert Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM @ 17s