This Sunday’s fourth stage of the Tour of Uruguay 2024 was 134 very hard kilometers along routes 18 and 26 from the town of Vergara (Treinta y Tres) to Melo (Cerro Largo), where all eyes were on the gold medalist: the Brazilian Kleber Ramos of the Pindamonhangaba Cycling Team of Brazil, who won his first stage and secured the first place in the overall individual classification.
The northern rider won in the final sprint over the other six riders who were with him in the group ahead, where second came the Argentinean Alejandro Quilci of the Club Ciclista Cerro Largo and third Santiago Méndez of Barrio Artigas. Flavio Cardoso, also from the Brazilian team, was fourth and Juan Echeverría from Paysandú LIL, fifth.
Meanwhile, the peloton arrived 17” behind the seven escapees, where Roderyck Asconeguy of Audax de Flores, Matías Presa and Agustín Moreira of Cerro Largo, Agustín Alonso of Náutico de Boca Cufré, the Brazilian Magno Nazaret, among other favorites, arrived.
The 38-year-old rider spoke to the Uruguayan Cycling Federation after climbing the podium on the fourth day and said that they were “well, concentrated, it was a very hard finish, but today all my teammates knew that nobody could take this victory away from us”.
Kleber Ramos continues to lead the overall, 20” ahead of Alejandro Quilci and 46” over Mateo Mascarañas (Náutico de Boca Cufré). Fourth is Samuel Morales (Náutico de Boca Cufré) at 50” and fifth is Roderyck Asconeguy 1’05”.
Tomorrow Monday’s stage is another one that will give something to talk about, depending on how strong the wind is, because it goes from the town of Caraguatá (Tacuarembó) through the difficult route 26 to Tacuarembó capital, in 121 km of race.
Source: El Observador y El Pais