Tadej Pogacar wins solo on Vuelta stage four in Andorra

Tadej Pogacar surged clear to win stage four of the Vuelta a España in the Andorran mountains on Tuesday, finishing more than three minutes ahead of the main group.

Pogacar, already in the red jersey after winning the individual time trial on stage one, had his plans delayed when stage three was abandoned after riders sheltered from a hailstorm in a nearby Pyrenees hotel on Monday. The 27-year-old, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG and competing in the Vuelta for the first time since 2019, attacked while pursuing a season that includes a bid to complete a Grand Tour grand slam and to join the small group who have taken a Tour–Vuelta double in the same season. Racing resumed a day later than scheduled on a short, mountainous course.

Stage four covered 104.8km with four categorised climbs and was billed as short but tricky; Pogacar launched his decisive move with just over 50 kilometres remaining in Andorra. Decathlon led onto the day’s second climb, Collada de Beixalis, where Pogacar chose to accelerate and break the group. Felix Gall tried to follow on the climb but was unable to stay with the Slovenian.

Pogacar quickly built a lead, opening a two-minute advantage before extending it further as the race unfolded. A chase group grew to nine riders and included Oscar Onley and Primoz Roglic, yet Pogacar was three minutes ahead up the road at that stage. The Slovenian maintained his gap to the finish.

He pumped his fists and raised his arms as he crossed the line, with Jarno Widar and Felix Gall taking second and third respectively, both 2min 39sec down. Widar and Gall outsprinted four-time Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic, Oscar Onley, Enric Mas and Sepp Kuss for the minor placings after that group had dropped Richard Carapaz and Mattias Skjelmose in the closing stages.

Pogacar now leads his nearest rival, compatriot Primoz Roglic, by three minutes and 21 seconds; Wednesday’s stage five runs 173.3km from Falset – south-west of Barcelona – to Roquetes and offers an opportunity for a sprint finish.