Insiders on S4: the real queen mountain stage

4th stage: Ljubljana – Kobarid, 165.6 km. Read Luka Mezgec's comment about speed bumps and you will quickly understand what awaits the peloton. Only the best mountain climber in the race will be able to win this stage with not one, but two climbs to Kolovrat.

Bogdan Fink, organizing director: "Extremely difficult stage. The start will be in Ljubljana at Kongresni trg, and then we will go over Katarina nad Ljubljana to Medvode and along the plain to Škofja Loka. The ascent to Kladje and the descent to Cerkno follow. It is in this first part that there will be an opportunity for a break, but of course everything depends on the lineup of the cyclists in the first group. The section from Cerkno to Tolmin is relatively flat, followed by a brutal end to the stage with a double climb to Kolovrat and the finish in Kobarid. All of you who followed last year's Giro already know this part, except that the race goes in the opposite direction. A total of 3,000 altitude meters, and only 2.8 km from the village of Idrsko to the finish line in Kobarid. I'm sure there will be no changes in this last flat section. So breakaway opportunities in the first part and a very challenging route in the second part. The descent from Kolovrat should not affect the final result."

Luka Mezgec, Team Jayco-AlUla: "Definitely a queen stage. The climb to Katarina looks like a speed bump compared to the last climb. If Tadej Pogačar comes, he is the first favorite. Otherwise, a very picturesque landscape, I think it will be really great for the spectators."

Domen Novak, UAE Team Emirates: "I know the climb to Kolovrat from the Giro, but I would say that the Tour of Slovenia has a real queen mountain stage again after a while, and I think the race will be decided here."

Everything about the stage - host introduction, profile, timeline, 3D video, map

Note: the participants gave their opinions at the April press conference and do not confirm Tadej Pogačar's attendance. Of course, we all want that.