Fraile distanced as Lecuisinier steals the show

Omar Fraile was not able to hold onto his top ten overall placing in the final stage of the Ronde de l'Isard today, while Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier took second on the stage to sensationally wrestle the overall crown from leader Sergei Chernetskyi.

Day four from Auterive to Saint-Girons took in a solid three category one climbs, the cols of Lers, Agnès and Core, over 182,5km - the longest stage of the sub-23 race. The climbs naturally took its toll on the peloton, something the fact that 46 (including Orbea's Igor Merino) riders abandoned reflects. 21-year-old Belgian Niels Vandyck of Jong Vlaanderen took an impressive win, beating Lecuisinier to the line. The duo held off number three on the day, leader Chernetskyi, by a full 1:33, meaning the Frenchman, junior world champ on the road last year, claimed the overall win by a mere 10 seconds. Vandyck closed out the overall podium.

Omar Fraile was Orbea's highest placed rider on GC going into the stage, but fell from his seventh place to 16th, as the youngster could only muster 21st on the day, 10:31 in arrears. Haritz Orbe was the blue outfit's top man today, coming in 15th ahead of riders like Pacher and Rybalkin.

Stage four results:

• (1, Niels Vandyck (Jong Vlaanderen), 5:05:08
• 15, Haritz Orbe, 10:18
• 21, Omar Fraile, 10:31
• 24, Illart Zuazubiskar, 20:34
• 27, Carlos Barbero, 38:54
• DNF: Igor Merino

Final general classification:

• (1, Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (Vendée U)
• 16, Omar Fraile, 10:49
• 23, Haritz Orbe, 26:35
• 26, Carlos Barbero, 40:51
• 27, Illart Zuazubiskar, 44:54

Orbea ended up a strong third in the team rankings, whilst Fraile was third in the fight for the climber's jersey.

Photo: www.lemonde.fr