Team Vorarlberg continues to put up a good fight
Team Vorarlberg continues to put up a good fight
“Tomorrow will be brutal all over again,” Team Vorarlberg race director Paul Renger had announced yesterday at the finish of the third stage of the Tour of Austria. He was right. The intense heat, 170 demanding kilometers with 2,325 meters of climbing, and WorldTour teams performing at the absolute top level once again demanded everything from his team.
And just as they had done on the first three days, the team from western Austria once again made a strong impression today, reaffirming the status they have earned in international cycling.
Particularly encouraging: Philipp Hofbauer only fell back slightly during the hectic finale—which had a Tour de France feel to it—on the infamous Porscheberg (20% gradient). He lost 1 minute and 14 seconds to stage winner Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek), but he still has his sights firmly set on his target of a top-15 finish in the general classification. In addition, as the second-best Austrian behind stage race leader Gregor Mühlberger, he remains the symbolic wearer of the prestigious jersey awarded to the best domestic rider.
Giacomo Ballabio also had a strong performance today, winning the sprint among the chasing pack and finishing 12th in Steyr. At the end of the final climb, the Italian narrowly missed catching up to the leading group, where his speed would have given him a chance at a top finish.
Dominik Röber was in the first breakaway group at the start of the stage, and Tobias Nolde is still in fifth place in the mountains classification.
Kilian Feurstein was able to conserve his energy today; he lost 14 minutes. However, his focus was already clearly on tomorrow, when the sprinters are set to make their big appearance.
The tour contingent is spending the night in Steyr today and will be transported to Langenlois tomorrow morning. The grand finale begins there at 1:30 p.m. After the final 109 kilometers, the tour will conclude shortly before 4:00 p.m. in front of the Burgtheater. “Tomorrow, we need to give it our all as a team once again to get Kilian into position and then leave the Tour on a high note,” said team manager Thomas Kofler, setting the tone for Sunday.
Stage 4 Results
www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-austria/2026/stage-4
Overall Standings
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-austria/2026/stage-4-gc
Mountain Classification
www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-of-austria/2026/stage-4-kom
Note
All stages of the Tour of Austria will be broadcast live on ORF 1. K19 will handle the video production and stream all stages live.
Press Service Team Vorarlberg
www.team-vorarlberg.at
office@proevent-cycling.at
Photos: The pictures show that Team Vorarlberg’s yellow jerseys were once again very visible in the peloton today. All photos (© Expa) may be used free of charge for editorial coverage of Team Vorarlberg in print and online media.
Roster: Giacomo Ballabio, Kilian Feurstein, Philipp Hofbauer, Dominik Röber, Emanuel Zangerle, Tobias Nolde
