Stage 4 of the Garden Route Giro delivered another decisive day in the women’s race, with Mariëlle Trouwborst extending her dominance while Cycle Nation’s Lisa Bone reinforced her position as a key contender in the general classification.
The 87km stage, featuring 1 650 metres of climbing over the iconic Swartberg Pass, once again proved selective. Early sprint honours went to Vera Looser, ahead of Bone and Trouwborst, but it was on the climb where the race truly came alive.
Trouwborst launched a powerful move on the ascent, opening a significant gap over her rivals. Bone and Looser crested the summit together behind her, before taking advantage of a neutralised zone to work collaboratively and maximise their gains.
Despite a brief stop to resolve a mechanical issue, Trouwborst demonstrated her class by chasing back and overturning the deficit. She surged clear to take the stage win by over four minutes.
Behind her, Looser edged Bone in the sprint for second place, with the Cycle Nation rider finishing just two seconds back in third.
Stage 4 Results – Women
- Mariëlle Trouwborst – 2:38:45
- Vera Looser – +4:05
- Lisa Bone (Cycle Nation Enza Construction) – +4:07
- Cherise Willeit – +8:55
- Catherine Kruger – +14:04
General Classification After Stage 4
- Mariëlle Trouwborst – 12:28:45
- Lisa Bone (Cycle Nation Enza Construction) – +6:21
- Vera Looser – +22:34
- Cherise Willeit – +38:06
- Catherine Kruger – +52:36
Classification Standings
Queen of the Mountains (KOM):
- Mariëlle Trouwborst – 35 pts
- Lisa Bone – 33 pts
- Vera Looser – 12 pts
Sprint Classification:
- Lisa Bone – 26 pts
- Vera Looser – 20 pts
- Mariëlle Trouwborst – 14 pts
Looking Ahead to the Queen Stage
With a commanding lead of 6 minutes and 21 seconds, Trouwborst heads into Stage 5 as the clear favourite. However, Lisa Bone remains firmly in contention, sitting second overall and leading the sprint classification, highlighting her consistency across varied terrain.
The Queen Stage from Hoek Plaas to Knysna, featuring over 2 000 metres of climbing, is set to be the ultimate test and could still reshape the podium battle.