Pogacar wins Vuelta stage in Andorra, extends overall lead to over three minutes

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2 days · 2 summary articles
Pogacar wins Vuelta stage in Andorra, extends overall lead to over three minutes
Britains Matt Brennan wins first Grand Tour stage at Vuelta a España as Pogačar keeps lead
Continuation
Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates-XRG won Stage 4 of the Vuelta a España on Tuesday, soloing to victory after a 50-kilometer breakaway on a 104.8-kilometer mountainous route in Andorra la Vella. He finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes and 35 seconds, 2 minutes and 39 seconds ahead of 20-year-old Belgian Jarno Widar, the largest margin of his Grand Tour career .
The Slovenian extended his overall lead to 3 minutes and 21 seconds over compatriot Primoz Roglic, with Spain’s Enric Mas in third at 3 minutes and 32 seconds. Pogacar began the day with a nine-second advantage and now looks poised to become the first rider since 1994 to lead a Grand Tour from start to finish, according to his post-race comments .
The stage followed Monday’s abandonment of Stage 3 due to severe hailstorms in the French Pyrenees, where riders took shelter in a hotel in Mont-Louis after the race was halted. Pogacar, who had led since the opening time trial, attacked on the second of four climbs, descending with a 90-second lead before stretching his advantage to nearly three minutes. A chasing group, including Widar and Roglic, trimmed the gap but could not close it .
Lorenzo Fortunato of XDS Astana led over the first mountain pass, collecting mountain points before Pogacar’s decisive move. The stage featured four categorized climbs, including the Collada de Beixalís, where Pogacar launched his attack. Wout van Aert, who finished 24 minutes and 35 seconds behind, dropped from second to outside the top positions in the general classification .
Stage 5 on Wednesday will cover 173.3 kilometers from Falset to Roquetes, shifting the race south along Spain’s east coast. The route leaves the Pyrenees, with sprinters expected to contest the finish .
Pogacar described the effort as “very tough” but expressed confidence for the coming days. “I tried with an attack on the climb and I just hoped that I could survive until the finish line,” he said. “Now I can be calm and confident for the next days” .
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