00:02The Konica Sapa, the Queen stage, stage 3, day 4 of this 41st Lidl-Deutschland tour, coming the day after
00:11a brilliant breakthrough ride for Alessio Magianotti at the age of 19, the young Italian for Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe,
00:19winning stage 2 in Offenbach.
00:22That was the expected sprint finish, but maybe not the expected winner. Today, the Saturday stage, the Queen stage, between
00:29Herxheim and Bad Dierkenheim, back in another spa town, and another beautiful run, this time though, north and northwestward, up
00:40into the Veltsewald mountains, and these really were mountains too, mountain weather turned up in the middle of it too.
00:47Nelson Oliveira taking off by himself, the elder statesman of that Movistar team, in the hammering rain, and extending to
00:56get over a minute's lead over the general classification group, including Louis Barret in the race leader's jersey.
01:04Olivera doing a fantastic ride out front, and holding them off at over a minute's lead for an awfully long
01:11time, as they went across the middle hills, coming towards the finishing circuit in Bad Dierkenheim.
01:18The thing is, him being there, eventually would tease out an attack. Who would it come from? Would it be
01:24Visma Lisabai? Would it be Louis Barret in the blue leader's jersey?
01:27Well, the blue leader's jersey was dropping a little bit further back down that group, and we were starting to
01:31wonder whether the Frenchman had it in his legs.
01:34His team were doing an awful lot of work for him. Loads of work, in fact, being done by Wilco
01:39Kelderman on the front.
01:41However, it would tease out an attack from behind that came in the shape of...
01:48Well, you're about to see it. Isaac del Toro being led out into the first ascent of the Annenberg.
01:56And off he went. It was panic stations, it has to be said, for Visma Lisabai, as Antonio Morgado did
02:02the final turn to lead Isaac del Toro, the Mexican road race and time trial champion, into his jump.
02:09Look at this. Louis Barret in the blue leader's jersey trying to go with him. You would think he would
02:14close the gap, but he couldn't.
02:15He went deep into the red, the Frenchman, to try and close it up. And up front, Nelson Oliveira survived
02:21to the top of the Annenberg the first time, but would soon be joined by Isaac del Toro.
02:26Well, del Toro's move itself teased out a guy who happens to live with him in San Marino, none other
02:33than Giulio Pellizzari.
02:34Pellizzari. The Italian had been very quiet in this race so far. Not a threat on general classification. Nearly a
02:40minute and a half down, in actual fact, on Louis Barret.
02:43But behind, Barret and his team were desperately chasing Pellizzari, Oliveira and that man, Isaac del Toro.
02:51To this point, del Toro had only, I say only, he'd only won the prologue on Wednesday in Bad Orb.
02:58This was a big push to get back control of this race and Louis Barret had missed out.
03:04Nelson Oliveira with the golden ticket, hanging on to Pellizzari and del Toro as they raid back in towards Bad
03:10Dierkheim,
03:11with a bonus seconds available on the top of the Annenberg the final time.
03:17Oliveira was starting to feel it and starting to drop as well.
03:21The Movistar man continued to ride steady, but he was then off the back of Pellizzari and Isaac del Toro.
03:30Well, Louis Barret was not done. Not done just yet.
03:33A really impressive surge to try and get clear of the general classification riders in that group.
03:39But he could not get up to these two.
03:43That was the effort and the multiple times that he tried, Barret, were very impressive.
03:47But he was burning just the last few matches that he had.
03:51Did not give up at any point as they approached the bonus seconds as well.
03:56Coming back towards the finish line, there was an intermediate sprint point as well.
04:00Oliveira was being caught by a strong riding, Taman Grat, who was riding for Louis Barret.
04:06Across the line, Isaac del Toro, Giulio Pellizzari getting across the line first.
04:12Jörg Zimmermann also just crossing that finish line ahead of the rest.
04:17This was back on to the Annenberg for the second and final time.
04:21Lidltrek, in fact, all the teams doing anything to try and get back in touch with the two out front.
04:26But look at Isaac del Toro.
04:27The Mexican looked so good, as did Pellizzari, the two 22-year-olds at the front of the race.
04:33Mark Hirschi attacked, taking with him Machu Bergadeau for a short while.
04:37But Hirschi would soon be rid of the Frenchman and by himself.
04:42This was Hirschi in full flow, the Swissman, as he tried to get back in touch with del Toro and
04:47Pellizzari.
04:48Could he do it?
04:50Certainly, Mark Hirschi at his very best would be able to close a gap like that.
04:54But he was stuck in between them and the Louis Barre group.
04:58These two would go to the finish together.
05:01Full-time trial mode.
05:03Yes, he had a little look round, hoping to hold off the others.
05:06Pellizzari, a final drink.
05:07He even puts it back in the bike as well.
05:09Wipes his hand because he'll need a good grip for this sprint finish.
05:12And you think that Isaac del Toro wins this, Jens.
05:16It'll be really interesting to see how Pellizzari goes.
05:21And this is the sprint about to start.
05:23Oh, Pellizzari and I think del Toro's gone.
05:27Del Toro just showed a little bit of a sign there and Pellizzari comes over the top.
05:31Julio Pellizzari gets the win for Red Bull.
05:35Bora Hansgrohe, who've now taken two wins in a row.
05:38But crucially, the green jersey behind of the Mexican, Isaac del Toro, tells me he will be the new race
05:43leader.
05:44It's been a brilliant defence.
05:46And there we go.
05:46A little bit of celebration.
05:51We are super friends, me and Isaac, of course.
05:53During the race, we have a good battle.
05:56So I always say to him, we are friends one centimetre before the finish line.
06:02From there we are friends.
06:04And then, yeah, I'm super happy that now he's the leader in GC.
06:07Tomorrow is still one day.
06:09We will try with Alessio.
06:11But, yeah, I think it's a perfect day for me, Isaac, and for all San Marino.
06:17And Julio Pellizzari with his fifth professional victory alongside Isaac del Toro, who's won over 30 races now.
06:24The Mexican sharing apartments in the same block, these two.
06:29Regular training partners, too.
06:31And happy to see each other doing so well on a day like this.
06:34Isaac del Toro back into the race lead in the blue jersey of the Lidl-Deutschland Tour,
06:40going into the final stage in Heilbronn tomorrow.
06:43All right.
