Chris Froome (Team Sky) was a surprise participant in a late break alongside Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Valverde´s team-mate Marc Soler in stage 4 of the Volta a Catalunya, although the Briton explained afterwards that his role was purely to act as a deterrent. The Soler-inspired move went over the top of the last climb of the day, a short but punchy ascent of Turo del Puig, followed by a fast, twisty drop back down towards the finish town of Igualada. The attack, which also contained FDJ´s first year pro and former Tour of the L´Avenir winner David Gaudu, was eventually swept up by the sprinters´ teams, with Froome remaining in fifth place overall, 49 seconds down, on the eve of the crucial mountain stage to Lo Port.ADVERTISEMENT `A couple of the guys went over the top of the climb and I looked around, thought `we don´t want to be on the backfoot chasing this,´` Froome told Cyclingnews as he warmed down after the stage. `I had the legs to get across, and Valverde quickly joined us as well. Soler made the first move and I didn´t want to be chasing.` Once he was up there, Froome said, he felt it was ``job done´, the move is covered now and now it´s up to the sprint teams to bring it back, or maybe the other GC guys would start getting concerned` - and put their riders to work - `with me and Valverde up there as well.`
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