Arensman pulls off a masterpiece: stage and green jersey in Obertilliach

Cycling at its purest and most spectacular. Thursday, April 24th, saw the Tour of the Alps deliver one of its most thrilling and brutal displays, painting a vivid picture of grit and glory on the roads of its stage 4, between Sillian and Obertilliach in Osttirol. The route was peppered with climbs, challenging and well-distributed, but it was the raw effort and direct confrontation among the GC contenders that defined the day—racing without hesitation or tactics.

In the end, it was the boldest and strongest who triumphed: Thymen Arensman of INEOS Grenadiers. His audacious move began with 80 km to go, in cold conditions and with rain hitting in the final kilometres. It was a standout performance that brought the Netherlands its first-ever stage win in the history of the Tour of the Alps (and its predecessor, Giro del Trentino), as well as Arensman’s first victory in INEOS Grenadiers colours.

Alongside the stage win, Arensman also claimed the Melinda Green Jersey as leader of the General Classification, snatching it from a defiant Michael Storer, who gave it everything but refused to back down.

The Australian’s response was just as impressive: realizing the GC lead was slipping away, the Tudor Pro Cycling rider attacked on the Anras climb with 35 km remaining, dropping the rest of the contenders. His third place on the stage and a 1:23 gap to Arensman weren’t enough to retain the lead, but he remains firmly in contention for the final overall victory tomorrow in Lienz, a city etched in the memory of the 2022 edition when both riders stood on the final podium—Storer in second and Arensman in third, behind Romain Bardet.

Canada’s Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) slotted into second on the stage at 1,446 metres in Obertilliach, and climbed to third overall, now 2:15 down on Arensman.

Behind the leading trio, Gall, Ciccone, and Caruso finished the stage 3:44 down, with Poole losing 4:29 and young Seixas over 10 minutes—significant gaps that reflect one of the most dramatic, unpredictable and emotional days of racing in this early part of 2025.

ARENSMAN: “AN INCREDIBLE WIN. TOMORROW EVERYTHING WILL COME DOWN TO THE STRONACH CLIMB”

“At the start, the plan was to send Heiduk up the road to set up my attack, but nobody could’ve predicted how things would unfold,” said the new race leader. “When the bunch caught the breakaway, I asked my teammate to keep the pace high to pressure our rivals. When I realised I still had legs, I took the risk to go long. For a moment, I thought I’d gone too early, but in the end, it worked. It was an incredible day.”

“This winter, our team had already committed to racing more aggressively—it’s riskier, sure, but it can lead to big wins, like today. It’s a different approach from the past, but much more exciting, especially for those watching at home.”

“Between the pace, the cold, and the climbs, today was tough for everyone—including me. I expect tomorrow to be no different. I remember the 2022 stage well, when I attacked with Bardet and Storer. Michael is in top shape, and it won’t be easy to keep him behind, but I usually do well in cold and wet conditions. I believe the Stronach climb will deliver the final verdict.”

“I’m proud to be the first Dutch rider to win a #TotA stage, and tomorrow I’ll try to bring our flag to the top of the final GC as well.”

HOW IT UNFOLDED

The peloton rolled out from Sillian at 10:50, with the notable absence of Britain’s Hugh Carthy. Just 7 km into the race and over the Austria-Italy border, six riders broke clear: Jasch (RedBull-BORA-Hansgrohe), Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla), Heiduk (INEOS Grenadiers), Bouchard (Decathlon-Ag2r), Pietrobon (Polti-VisitMalta), and Zangerle (Team Vorarlberg).

The break quickly gained almost four minutes, but Lidl-Trek and Bahrain Victorious ramped up the pace on the Passo di Sant’Antonio, closing the gap. Bouchard, suffering from the cold, dropped out shortly after the descent.

The race ignited on the Kreuzbergpass/Passo di Monte Croce Comelico with Arensman, Dunbar, and Prodhomme launching an attack. They reached the breakaway but were soon joined by Caruso, Poole, Hindley, Gee, and Storer.

On the descent, Arensman went solo, increasing his lead across the flat terrain of the Pustertal/Val Pusteria. Behind him, the chase splintered, with Bouwman, Prodhomme, and Gee at 1’20”, Herzog, Poole, and Zangerle in pursuit, and the Green Jersey group trailing by more than two minutes.

On the climb to Anras, Gee dropped Bouwman and shaved a few seconds off Arensman’s lead. Meanwhile, Storer, over three minutes behind, attacked with Gall and Ciccone before continuing solo in an effort to salvage the jersey.

Arensman, Gee, and Storer maintained their pace up the Tessenbach climb. Other GC hopefuls couldn’t respond. At the base of the Kartitscher Sattel, Arensman led by 23” over Gee, 1’58” on Storer, and over 3’20” on the rest. The final climb confirmed the day’s hierarchy: Arensman soloed to victory, while Gee, tiring, managed to fend off Storer’s late charge. Gall, Ciccone, and Caruso gave it one last effort to secure fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

In the GC, Arensman leads Storer by 11”, with Gee at 2’15”, followed by Ciccone (+3’17”), Gall (+3’21”), Caruso (+3’41”), Bardet and Poole (+4’14”), Hindley (+4’17”), and Cepeda (+4’23”). France’s young sensation Seixas, a standout revelation earlier in the week, plummeted out of contention with a delay of over 10 minutes.

FINAL SHOWDOWN IN LIENZ

On Friday, April 25th, the Tour of the Alps concludes with Stage 5: 112.2 km starting and finishing in Lienz. The route promises relentless action through constant ups and downs. After 37 km, riders will tackle a new side of the Bannberg: 4.5 km at an average gradient of 10% with 15 hairpins. The course then rolls on with alternating climbs and descents before the second climb of the Bannberg.

After the descent from the classic side, the peloton will head into the valley and face the decisive Stronach climb, already crucial in the 2022 edition. The 3 km ascent—on narrow roads with a punishing 13% average gradient—could again prove to be the kingmaker in 2025. After the summit, just 10 km remain before the finish line in Lienz’s Hauptplatz, where the 2025 Tour of the Alps champion will be crowned.

TOUR OF THE ALPS ON TV

Stage 5 of the Tour of the Alps will be broadcast live from 13:30 to 15:30. Cycling fans across Europe and Asia can tune in via Eurosport. In Italy and Austria, coverage will be provided by RAI and ORF respectively. In North America, FloSports will stream the action for U.S. and Canadian audiences. L’Équipe TV will air the event in France, and for the first time, Sports5 brings the race to viewers in Israel. Highlights will be distributed across Europe and the Netherlands through EBU News and NOS.