Cornu wins Giro's 4th stage

2008-03-07 15:59

Stellenbosch - Belgian Dominque Cornu won the fourth stage of the MTN Giro del Capo on Friday after one of the hardest days of racing of this year's event.

Cornu broke away from the group in the final two kilometres to take his first win of the year, with Barloworld's Hugo Sabido second and Dutchman Malay van Ruitenbeek of the Kuota-Senges team third.

Race leader Christian Pfannberger of Barloworld took fifth spot to all but ensure that he will be crowned the Giro del Capo champion when the race finishes on the top of Signal Hill on Saturday.

The final stage is the traditional and popular 5.5km time trial up Glen Road, snaking around the contours of Signal Hill.

Made Signal Hill time trial his own

Pfannberger, who has worn the pink leader's jersey since he won the first stage in Wellington on Tuesday, leads the race by one minute and four seconds from Hanco Kachelhoffer (House of Paint) and a further eight seconds ahead of third-placed Jacques Janse van Rensburg (Neotel) and Chris Froome of Barloworld.

The three will be fighting out for the final two podium positions.

MTN Energade's David George has made the Signal Hill time trial his own in recent years and holds the record of 12 minutes flat on the steep and testing climb.

However, he is two minutes and 40 seconds in arrears to the leader, and one-and-a-half minutes behind Froome and Janse van Rensburg, a gap that should prove to be too great. His consolation, though, will be a stage victory for his team.

Pfannberger said: "I have a lead of over one minute and I don't think it would be possible for someone to overtake me on Signal Hill.

"We rode the hill on Monday and I liked the climb. It's very hard, but I like hill time trials, they suit me."

The fourth stage was a long day in the sun for many, ending with four tough laps of a circuit around the Helshoogte Pass.

There were supposed to be five laps, but after the organisers had missed a turn and taken the race 7km down the wrong road, a lap was taken out.

Cyclists were stopped and re-directed

An eight-man break , which included Barloworld's Tour de France stage winner Robert Hunter, SA champion Malcolm Lange and Jay Thomson (both MTN Energade) went clear after 20km.

After racing was stopped and then directed on to the correct route, they built up a lead of three minutes and 55 seconds.

Hunter and Van Ruitenbeek attacked and built up a lead on the first climb up Helshoogte. On the last lap the pair were still 55 seconds clear, but Hunter punctured on the descent of Ou Helshoogte.

Van Ruitenbeek was caught by Cornu with two kilometres left to the finish and the Belgian rode clear to his first win of the year.

- SAPA