Only two Vuelta stages have been contested in the mountains, and the general classification already looks decided. Pogacar attacked on the second climb of a 104.8-kilometer loop around Andorra la Vella, dropped every one of his rivals on the Collada de Beixalis with 50 kilometers still to ride, and soloed to the line 2 minutes 39 seconds ahead of Jarno Widar of Lotto-Intermarché, race organizers confirmed.
A new benchmark for a rider who keeps setting them
The distance sets a new personal record. Pogacar’s previous longest solo raid at a Grand Tour was 43 kilometers, produced last month at the Tour de France on the road to Gavarnie-Gèdre, and before that a 39-kilometer solo to Plataforma de Gredos at the 2019 Vuelta.
The 104.8-kilometer loop packed 3,000 meters of climbing across four ascents: the 2,409-meter Port d’Envalira, the Collada de Beixalis, the Coll d’Ordino, and the Alto de la Comella above Andorra la Vella. It was Pogacar’s fifth career Vuelta stage win, and his first wearing the red leader’s jersey.
“I never thought that I would ride like this ever”
Pogacar admitted after the stage that the move had not been part of any plan.
Read also: As FIFA turns on him, Infantino appears alongside Macron and Saudi Crown Prince in Paris
“I didn’t have to do that, but the pace was super high, already on the first climb. The second climb we were basically going all out from the bottom and when Jay let me pass on the wheel of Decathlon I knew, okay, I don’t want to be isolated against all the GC riders, because they would all play against me,” he told Cycling Up To Date.
“I tried with an attack on the climb, and just hoped I could survive to the finish. I saw that I could open a gap and I did it. It was pretty tough, but a beautiful day out there.”
“I never thought that I would ride like this ever.”
The rivals cannot get near him
The chase group behind Pogacar contained every rider expected to fight for the podium, and none could keep pace. Felix Gall, Oscar Onley, Sepp Kuss, Enric Mas and Primoz Roglic all finished at 2 minutes 39 seconds, alongside Widar, official stage results show.
Read also: A perfect start gives way to an unexpected twist
The new general classification standings after stage 4:
-
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG)
-
Primoz Roglic (Red Bull BORA hansgrohe): +3’21”
-
Enric Mas (Movistar): +3’32”
Read also: Former West Brom player dies aged 25 after collapsing during friendly
-
Sepp Kuss (Team Visma | Lease a Bike): +3’44”
Pogacar is chasing the career sweep of Grand Tours. A red jersey in Madrid would make the Slovenian the ninth rider to complete the Tour-Giro-Vuelta set, the Associated Press reports.
He already sounded like a rider looking further down the road.
“Any gap is good, but now I can be calm and confident for the next day. We just keep going day by day after this, because it will be a bit less stressful for sure.”
Read also: United complete a huge deal, but there is a catch
Read also: Shock Julian Alvarez transfer twist as premier league club make surprise move for Atletico star
