Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia

Good artists copy, great artists steal. - Pablo Picasso

---

Les Woodland's book Cycling's 50 Triumphs and Tragedies: The rise and fall of bicycle racing's champions is available in print, Kindle eBook & audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• August 17 - Sept 8: Vuelta a España
• August 20 - 23: Tour du Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine
  

Upcoming racing:

• August 25: Bretagne Classic Ouest-France

Latest completed racing:

• August 12 - 18: Tour of Poland
• August 14 - 18: PostNord Denmark Rundt
• August 13 - 16: Tour du Limousin
• August 11: La Polynormande
• August 10: Clasica San Sebastian
• August 5 - 9: Vuelta a Burgos
• August 4 - 7: Arctic Race of Norway
• July 27 - August 4: Olympic cycling

---

Vuelta a España stage four reports

We posted the race organizer's report with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner and new GC leader Primoz Roglic's Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe:

For Primož Roglič, 13 is not a reason for superstition - today it is a reason for celebration. On the steep climb to Pico Villuercas, the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe leader took his 13th stage win of the Vuelta and the red jersey of the overall leader.

Primoz Roglic wins stage four.

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe left no doubt about its ambitions throughout the day at the Vuelta's first mountaintop finish. The team controlled the breakaway for over 100 kilometres in temperatures approaching 40 degrees. It was a statement up to the final climb and it paid off. The steepest sections were in the last 5 kilometres of the stage and a small group of riders had already formed after just a few metres. Primož Roglič led the group from the front to the line, fending off all attacks. He also followed the final attack and won on the mountaintop in a photo finish.

After four stages, Primož Roglič leads the general classification by eight seconds. Aleks Vlasov is one minute behind in 10th place and Florian Lipowitz is 20th.

Primož Roglič: "Taking Red was not the main objective of today. But when you see the guys riding hard in this heat, I had no choice. They did a real good job, and I'm happy that I had the legs and that I was able to finish it off. It was a tough finish, it was steep. The goal will remain the same: we'll take it day by day. We'll see how I'll go, how my body will react."

Here's the Vuelta report from Wout van Aert's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

Sepp Kuss finished eleventh in the fourth stage of the Vuelta a España. On the steep final climb toward Pico Villuercas, the American defending champion lost about half a minute to stage winner Primoz Roglic, who also took the red leader's jersey from Wout van Aert.

Wout van Aert in red late in the stage. Sirotti photo

With Van Aert still in the red jersey, the peloton set off in scorching heat from Spanish soil for the first time in this Vuelta, for a 170-kilometer stage. With four climbs on the schedule, it promised to be the first real battle in this Vuelta among the general classification contenders.

The heat clearly gripped the race, causing the peloton to take it relatively easy and conserve energy for the challenging finale. After Van Aert grabbed a few points in the green jersey competition during an intermediate sprint just before the foot of the final climb, he let the peloton go, opting to ride at his own pace to the top after two beautiful days in the red jersey.

Stage winner Roglic showed his strength with a fierce sprint at the top of Pico Villuercas, with several overall favorites close behind. Kuss had to let go on the steep sections, with gradients exceeding twenty percent, and eventually crossed the finish line 28 seconds behind his former teammate.

"It was an exceptionally tough day," the American said afterward. "Everyone tried to conserve energy along the way because of the heat. I didn’t feel my best on the final climb. At the finish, I saw that the gap was less than half a minute. I can live with that, considering the legs I had today. I tried to limit the damage."

As expected, Van Aert had to relinquish the red leader's jersey after two days. "The heat made it an exceptionally tough day. The stage was more controlled than we had anticipated. Everyone tried to conserve their energy. Honestly, I felt boosted by my victory yesterday. It was cool that so many riders came up to me to congratulate me on that win. It’s been two great days in red. Today, it was a bit easier to pedal," Van Aert admitted.

The Belgian will start Wednesday's predominantly flat fifth stage in the green jersey. Van Aert leads the points classification by six points ahead of Kaden Groves.

Here's the Vuelta report from second-place Lennert Van Eetvelt's Team Lotto Dstny:

A beautiful day for Lotto Dstny in the fourth stage of the Vuelta a España. Lennert Van Eetvelt never got in trouble in the first mountain stage. The 23-year-old climber of Lotto Dstny just missed out on the victory. Sylvain Moniquet conquered the mountain jersey after a day in the breakaway.

Lennert Van Eetveldt (left) came in second to Primoz Roglic. Sirotti photo

After a Portuguese start of this year’s Vuelta, the peloton rode on Spanish roads.  A breakaway of 5 riders coloured the first mountain stage of 170 kilometers, with Sylvain Moniquet. On top of the Puerto de Cabezabellosa and Alto de Piornal, Moniquet took the full amount of mountain points, while their advantage was around three minutes.

On the final climb, the Pico Villuercas with steep parts up against 20%, everyone of the break was taken back and in the bunch the best climbers came in the picture. Lennert Van Eetvelt never came in difficulties and climbed towards the finish with Primož Roglič and Enric Mas. With some riders coming back in the end, a sprint with seven would decide for the victory. Van Eetvelt sprinted strongly, but just in the last meters Roglič (Red Bull - BORA – Hansgrohe) jumped over him.

“I’m really happy with my form, that I’m able to play for the victory here. I didn’t have an easy period the last months with my knee problems, so I’m really satisfied that I’m back at the level I had in the beginning of the year. At the other hand I’m also a bit sad of course to miss out on the victory, but other chances will follow this Vuelta”, the 23-year-old Van Eetvelt said. “Today was the first test, I’m super happy of where I am. I came here to try to go for a good general classification, this gives confidence.”

Sylvain Moniquet conquered the mountain jersey after his fantastic day in the breakaway. “It was a really hard day, I’m super satisfied to be able to wear the mountain jersey. It wasn’t the goal to take it, as we are here to go for a nice GC with Lennert. But this morning I got some breakaway tips of Thomas (De Gendt) and with the beautiful climbs and my good legs I went for it. We will take it day by day.”

Here's the Vuelta report from Mikel Landa's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

Mikel Landa fought tooth and nail on the seemingly neverending climb that witnessed the first showdown between the GC contenders of the Spanish Grand Tours, and for a couple of seconds even dreamed of what would have been an incredible win at the end of a stage that made an important selection in the rankings.

Long before this exciting battle for victory unfolded, the peloton took on three classified ascents, one of which was Alto del Piornal, where Remco Evenepoel surged to a memorable victory in 2022, basically sealing his overall triumph and writing history for Belgium and the Wolfpack. The breakaway, which formed on Puerto de Cabezabellosa, fought for the KOM points there, before being eventually caught on the slopes of Pico Villuercas.

This 14.6km climb, averaging 6.2%, returned for the first time since 2021, the peloton tackling it now from the harder side, one featuring some gruelling slopes of 20% in the last part. Things exploded on the steepest segment of the mountain, with five kilometers to go, splintering an already thinned-out bunch and leaving only six riders in the lead. Mikel found himself distanced, but staged one of the most remarkable comebacks seen in a Grand Tour this season, bridging across with just 800 meters to go thanks to a formidable determination and an heroic effort.

The final meters, Mikel Landa can be seen on the far right. Sirotti photo

As if this wasn’t enough, the experienced Basque gambled every ounce of energy he still had left on a powerful acceleration with 300 meters left of the stage, opening a small gap on his opponents, who caught him an agonizing 75 meters from the line, where Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) prevailed. Mikel concluded the day in seventh place and made a huge jump in the general classification, where he now sits in ninth, around 25 seconds from the podium.

“I didn’t know what to expect this morning because I didn’t have the best feeling, but in the end, it was a good stage. I gave my best and always kept the confidence, even when I got dropped. I am happy I could return in the group and even try something in the finale. I said to myself there is a chance and went all-in. It wasn’t to be, but I am satisfied with finishing together with the main GC guys and jumping so many places in the standings”, said the leader of T-Rex Quick-Step.

And here's the Vuelta report from Carlos Rodriguez's Team INEOS Grenadiers:

Carlos Rodriguez battled all the way to the line in order to limit his losses on the brutal Pico Villuercas summit finish on stage four.

Rodriguez brought the Grenadiers home to move 18th overall, +1:30 on Primoz Roglic (Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe) who won the stage to take the race lead after the 14.6km climb which featured maximum gradients of 20%.

Carlos Rodriguez racing in 2024 Tour de France stage 14. Sirotti photo

Earlier, Josh Tarling and Brandon Rivera had fought hard to make the early breaks, escaping briefly before their respective moves were caught.

The Grenadiers were then hampered by a crash which affected both Oscar Rodriguez and Laurens de Plus, but both were cleared to continue after a medical assessment.

The eventual breakaway were not allowed to gain significant time, with Red Bull - Bora Hansgrohe working throughout the stage to maintain a strong pace in the peloton, meaning the escapees were caught on the final ascent.

This lead to counter attacks which thinned the GC group until Roglic won a reduced sprint from the lead group to take the race lead.

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary