Slovenian National Champion Jakob Omrzel lived up to expectations on home roads, delivering a strong performance to finish third on Stage 4 of the Tour of Slovenia (Kranj-Kranjska Gora, 184.7 km).

The queen stage of the race featured three categorised climbs and was made even more demanding by high temperatures throughout the day.

The race exploded on the slopes of the iconic Vršič climb, where the day’s breakaway was reeled in. A leading duo formed as Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) attacked, followed then by his teammate Giulio Pellizzari to open a decisive gap. The pair maintained their advantage all the way to the finish, crossing the line together, with Lipowitz taking the stage victory and moving into the overall race lead.

Behind them, Omrzel once again demonstrated his climbing talent on the demanding gradients of Vršič. The 20-year-old fought all the way to the summit to secure an excellent third place, finishing 1:26 behind the leading duo.

The result moves Omrzel up to third place in the general classification and also sees him take over the white jersey as the race’s best young rider:

“I feel a bit exhausted, which I think is normal after a day like this. I had really good sensations throughout the stage. I was hoping to get back to Lipowitz and Pellizzari, but in the end they were stronger today.

I still need to train a bit more, but overall I’m very happy with my performance and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s final stage.”

Sports Director Borut Borut Božič:

“It was a day very much in line with what we expected and prepared for. We didn’t have a completely realistic picture of just how strong Pellizzari and Lipowitz are, and on the final climb they showed their quality.

Jakob did a great job on that climb. When he realised their pace was too much for him, he wisely settled into his own rhythm. I’m very pleased with how he managed the final part of the ascent. He rode within his limits and fully deserved to hold on to third place.”

The Tour of Slovenia concludes tomorrow with Stage 5 in Novo mesto. Featuring the traditional ascent of Trška Gora shortly before the finish, the final stage is expected to offer Omrzel the opportunity to defend both his white jersey and a place on the overall podium.