Lennard Kamna wasn’t sure four climbs to the finish line stage 4 Tirreno-Adriatico in Tortoreto was enough to break Filippo Ganna, but at the end of the stage, a soft-spoken Best-Hansgrohe the rider was in the blue jersey with a real chance of overall success in Italy.
Ganna broke down for the last time on the three kilometer climb while Kamna struggled to stay ahead in the sprint to the finish line. He finished five seconds behind stage winner Primož Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), but that was enough to put him in the lead.
Kamna donned the blue jersey on the podium and is now six seconds ahead of Roglic, Joao Almedia is in third with eight seconds and his UAE teammate Brandon McNulty is fourth with 13 seconds back.
“Honestly, I underestimated the scene. I didn’t think that the final would be so difficult, ”Kyamna admitted.
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“But when we went through it the first time, I was sure that it would be very difficult, and maybe I even had a chance to take the jersey. I had to fight at full power in order to lose as little time as possible myself.
“As a team we tried to be ahead, we tried to be active and aggressive to cover the moves. At the end of the day, it was a complete race.”
Kamna won the third stage of the 2022 Giro d’Italia on the slopes of Mount Etna and then spent a week in second place overall. Now he is testing the racing lead himself after helping Jai Hindley win the 2022 Corsa Rosa and giving Bora-Hansgrohe their first Grand Tour victory.
“I am very, very happy to receive the blue jersey. This is the first time I have a multi-day leader’s jersey and having it here in Italy is a special event since last year’s Giro and has been a great experience for me. and the whole team,” Kemna said.
“We will definitely try to protect him. I think it will be difficult, but we will try to be sure. Six seconds on Primož Roglic is not much, he always worries.”
Kamna and Bora-Hansgrohe have hard work and tough racing ahead of them in the next two days in Tirreno-Adriatico.
Stage 5 ends with a 14.5 km climb to the finish line in Sassotetto.snow and cold rain possible.
Saturday’s stage six takes place around the short and steep hills of Les Marches, with 20 or so steep “muri” climbs that are likely to slowly take their toll on the riders in the elimination battle. Whoever leads the race on Saturday night is likely to win overall after Sunday’s flat stage to San Benedetto del Tronto.
“I think Friday’s longer climb suits me better than a sharp climb like today’s leg, but overall it’s going to be a very difficult couple of days. I just need to climb as fast as I can,” Kemna said.
“I was happy to finish second to Ganna after TT and now we see what we can do. My main goal this year is the Giro d’Italia, to try myself in the overall standings, so Tirreno-Adriatico is a big part of the preparation for that.”
Source: sports.yahoo.com
