Marcin Bialoblocki won the Girvan today after a group of ten riders escaped the bunch and left the Plowman Craven team chasing their tails.
Tom Murray of Plowman Craven had held the lead since winning the first stage on Saturday, but the lead slipped away on today's decisive stage.
A group of ten riders broke clear, including Russell Downing, Ian Wilkinson and Marcin Bialoblocki, who was lying second overall at the start of today's stage.
A hilly day's racing (and an early crash) meant that peloton had already been whittled down to around 35 riders. The group of ten quickly amassed a lead of around two minutes, before Downing and Wilkinson escaped alone.
Downing managed to outsprint Wilkinson into the finish, to take his third win of the season and his second successive stage win in the race.
However, it was heartbreak for Murray. After leading the race early on, he had the leader's yellow jersey cruelly snatched away from him on the final stage by Bialoblocki who came home in the chase group behind Downing and Wilkinson.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Stage four results:
1. Russell Downing (CandiTV-Pinarello)
2. Ian Wilkinson (Halfords-Bikehut)
3. Kristian House (Rapha Condor)
Overall:
1. Marcin Bialoblocki (Sports Beans-Wilier)
2. Andy Tennant (Halfords-Bikehut)
3. Peter Williams (CandiTV-Pinarello)
4. Ian Wilkinson (Halfords-Bikehut)
5. Russell Downing (CandiTV-Pinarello)
6. Kristian House (Rapha Condor)
7. Simon Gaywood (Corley Cycles)
8. Will Bjergfelt (Sports Beans-Wilier)
9. Tom Murray (Plowman Craven-Madison)
10. Gareth Montgomery (Sigma Sport)
King of the mountains:
Ian Bibby (Halfords Bikehut)
Points classification:
Kristian House (Rapha Condor)
(l - r) Andy Tennant, Marcin Bialoblocki and Pete Williams on the podium at the end of the 2009 Girvan. Picture by Andy Jones.
Marcin Bialoblocki and team mate Will Bjergfelt embrace after the duo beat the big teams to snatch victory. Picture by Andy Jones.
RELATED LINKS:
Downing back to winning ways in Scotland
Graham Briggs takes stage two in Girvan
Plowman Craven strike first in Girvan
British race calendar 2009
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.
I rode 500km off-road at 46 - this is what I learned
‘No correlation between price and protection’ - 30 helmets ranked for safety by new study
