Torstein Traeen, a Norwegian cyclist, claimed victory in the fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse by soloing up the eight-kilometer climb to the Gotthard Pass for his first WorldTour win. Adam Yates from the UAE team finished second and took the yellow jersey from Alberto Bettiol. Traeen was part of a large breakaway group of seven riders, including Bryan Coquard, who had won the second stage. The gap increased significantly as the peloton waited for leader Bettiol to return after a crash. The leaders started the final climb with a four-minute lead over the peloton.
Before the climb, Traeen (Bahrain) made a solo attack, leaving his fellow escapees behind. With six kilometers to go, the peloton was shocked by a crash involving rising star Isaac Del Toro and Wilco Kelderman. Del Toro quickly rejoined the peloton, but Kelderman was delayed as his bike was stuck with another fallen rider’s. He ultimately lost over a minute to Yates, the top contender.
Yates, on the other hand, was making a strong comeback. Among the snowy mountain walls, he dropped the other contenders, including Egan Bernal and former winner Mattias Skjelmose. Traeen’s lead dwindled rapidly, but he fought on with hope and determination.
After the race, Traeen became slightly emotional, mentioning the passing of Gino Mäder a year prior during the same race, when he was riding for the team Traeen currently represents. Traeen dedicated his victory to Mäder, stating, “It is his mountain on which I have won,” referring to Mäder’s stage win in Andermatt in 2021, which also featured the Gotthard Pass. “Today, his mother was also present, so it is even more special.”
The Tour de Suisse will continue on Thursday with a new mountain stage and will last until Sunday. Despite missing out on the stage win, Yates will start the next stage in the yellow jersey. The competition promises more thrilling moments and intense battles as the cyclists navigate the challenging terrain ahead.