Primoz Roglic produced a statement victory on stage 4 of the Tour de France.
The Team Jumbo-Visma rider led home a heavy-hitting group into Orcières-Merlette that included, Egan Bernal (Team INEOS) Nairo Quintana (Team Arkea-Samsic), Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) and yellow jersey-wearer Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quickstep).
It was also a good day for Ireland's Nicolas Roche. Riding for Sunweb, he finished 28-seconds behind that leading group and is 24th overall - 45-seconds off yellow.
The first category climb to the ski resort finish line was the first taster of what's to come in the mountains for the peloton.
🔎 Here's a detailed look at that powerful charge from @rogla!
🔎 Regardez la puissance développée à l'arrivée par @rogla !#TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/N5DEp2Am8Z— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 1, 2020
Today's win also completes a remarkable turnaround for Roglic, who was forced to abandon last month's Critérium du Dauphiné while race leader on stage 4.
Still bearing a bandage on his left arm from that fall, the Slovenian told reporters after Tuesday's stage, "It was quite a fast day actually, quite hard. But the [Jumbo-Visma] guys did, again, a really good job.
"I was all the time in a good position, and in the end I could do a nice sprint so very happy."
Roglic was asked if leaving Alaphilippe in yellow is actually a blessing in disguise, replying, "It's the news that I have to accept, I don't really care. Like I said, a nice day, we stayed safe. At the end we even win, so even better.
"So yeah, we have to continue like that."
Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quickstep) is second in the points race, but level on points with green jersey holder Peter Sagan.
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