Lotto-Intermarché rider Lionel Taminiaux won the fourth stage of the ZLM Tour in Schijndel. After spending much of the day in the breakaway, the 30-year-old Belgian defeated fellow escapees Martijn Rasenberg (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Danny van der Tuuk (Euskaltel-Euskadi) in a thrilling finale.
Five riders launch an early attack
The race came to life early when Danny van der Tuuk (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Bram Dissel (BEAT CC p/b SAXO), Martijn Rasenberg (Unibet Rose Rockets), Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto-Intermarché) and Sean Flynn (Team Picnic PostNL) formed the breakaway.
The peloton allowed the leaders some freedom but appeared to have the break under control. At the first passage over the Vlagheideberg, where spectators lined the road several rows deep, Bram Dissel was the first rider to reach the top. After the finish, he was awarded the special heart jersey presented by the Dutch Heart Foundation. Not long afterwards, he was forced to let his four fellow escapees go.
Breakaway narrowly holds off the peloton
The gap between the peloton and the leaders quickly decreased in the finale, but the breakaway riders managed to stay clear. Rasenberg launched his sprint from a long way out, but Taminiaux came past him to take the victory. Danny van der Tuuk, who was named the most combative rider, finished third.
Taminiaux makes amends after Renewi Tour
Taminiaux was delighted with his victory. “I was also part of a long breakaway during the Renewi Tour, but we were caught just before the finish. It is great to win this time. The cooperation in the breakaway was excellent, so I would like to thank the other riders for working so well together.”
Danny van der Tuuk was surprised that the breakaway managed to stay ahead of the fast-approaching peloton. “I joined the move to take away the bonus seconds for my brother Axel, who is third in the general classification. But I did not expect us to stay out in front.”
Vacek retains the yellow ZLM leader’s jersey
Mathias Vacek retains the yellow ZLM leader’s jersey, while his teammate Max Walscheid will wear the red jersey of the Postcode Lottery points classification tomorrow. Héctor Álvarez remains the leader of the Škoda young rider classification.
Decisive final stage in Waalwijk
The fifth and final stage of the ZLM Tour takes place on Sunday, 6 September. Starting and finishing in Waalwijk, the stage covers more than 180 kilometres. After this stage, we will know who will be crowned the overall winner of the ZLM Tour.
