Diaz is tenth before Schelling – The Kitzbühler Horn is ALL IN!

Yesterday Daniel Geismayr raced me an incredible 118 km/h from the Teichalm towards the finish line. Today the speedometer needle again showed two-digit values on the fourth stage. The Glockneretappe from Radstadt over the Dientner Sattel up to the Fuscherthörl was short with 103 kilometers, but notorious and crisp with 3253 altitude meters.

Jannik Steimle scored one point in the first sprint classification and then joined the team. At Dientner Sattel all Vorarlberg riders are still with Patrick Schelling and are rushing towards Glockner. On the ascent Gazprom, Movistar and Israel Cycling increase the pace again. Geismayr, Banzer and Stüssi have to tear. Diaz Gallego is the last Mohican to do so. So Schelling is on his own. The Swiss fights great – but also has to drive his pace when Anacona (Movistar), Hermanns (Israel) and O`Connor (Dimension Data) go.

Team Vorarlberg Santic team TOP – Diaz in front of Schelling on rank ten in the middle of the world top! Hermanns wins at Fuscherthörl!
The pros of the big teams are the winners today and “shred” themselves right. Belgian winner Ben Hermanns (Israel Cycling) of the previous year can beat Ben O`Connor (Dimension Data) by a few seconds at Fuscherthörl. Third Anacona (Movistar). From behind, Jose Manuel Diaz Gallego is speeding up. He can catch up with Patrick Schelling again and pulls the captain towards the finish line. Diaz will be a great tenth today. Behind Patrick Schelling on eleven!
Today, the whole team was CONVINCED, because Colin Stüssi is still in 21st place, just behind him as the second best Austrian Daniel Geismayr 24th! Only the World Tour teams Dimension Data and CCC were in the team ranking before the “Ländle Equipe”!

Schelling has not (yet) lit the fire!
“I’m not quite satisfied today, but I’m not disappointed either. There was very little missing to be able to ride with the top favourites. It would have been nice, but the day after tomorrow I want to give everything again at the horn for a jump to the front!

Team Vorarlberg Santic the measure of things in Austria!
This is underlined by the last five days with the prologue victory in Wels, two second places, once rank five, two days in the leader jersey of the Tour, as well as a strong team unity. This despite the retirement of Captain de la Route Roland Thalmann – great performance!

Result: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-austria/2019/stage-4

Rest before the storm on the Kitzbühler Horn?
Tomorrow the weather will play an important role in the course of the race. It could be changeable. The Gerlos Pass will be the executioner on the fifth section from Bruck an der Glocknerstraße to Kitzbühel over 162 kilometres and a good 2600 metres of altitude difference. Full throttle or save energy in the direction of the final stage on Friday? We will know more tomorrow – the chain remains tight!

Stage overview:
July 7th Grießkirchen – Freistadt 138 Km – 2147 HM
8. July Zwettl – Wr. Neustadt 177 Km – 2291 HM
9 July Cherry chop – Frohnleiten 176 Km – 3752 HM
10. July Radstadt – Großglockner 103 Km – 3253 HM
11. July Bruck – Kitzbühel 162 Km – 2619 HM
July 12th Kitzbühel – Kitzbüheler Horn 117 Km – 2215 HM

Information at www.oesterreich-rundfahrt.at
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Squad: Daniel Geismayr, Patrick Schelling, Gordian Banzer, Colin Stüssi, Jose Manuel Diaz Gallego, Jannik Steimle;