 | CONNELL GRANGE SUPPLY WHERE THE CUSTOMER IS STILL THE COMPANY |
|
Printable Page
08/25 14:04 CDT Tadej Pogacar dominates to win 4th stage of Spanish Vuelta and
take control of the Grand Tour race
Tadej Pogacar dominates to win 4th stage of Spanish Vuelta and take control of
the Grand Tour race
ANDORRA LA VELLA, Andorra (AP) --- Tadej Pogacar took a big step toward winning
the Spanish Vuelta for the first time by claiming the fourth stage in dominant
fashion on Tuesday.
The defending Tour de France champion, seeking a sweep of Grand Tour titles,
completed his longest solo run in Grand Tours and finished Tuesday's tough
mountain stage in Andorra 2 minutes, 39 seconds ahead of the chasers.
Pogacar opened an overall lead of 3 minutes, 21 seconds over Primoz Roglic,
with Enric Mas other 11 seconds behind in the general classification.
"It was pretty tough but a beautiful day out there," Pogacar said. "Any gap is
more than enough but it's super good because now I can be calm and confident
for the next days. We'll keep going day by day and focus on each day, it will
be a little less stressful."
Pogacar's win, his second at the Vuelta this year, came a day after the third
stage was canceled because of hail near the end of the route in France. No
winner was declared after the race was halted about 15 kilometers (nine miles)
to go as riders started taking shelter in shops and restaurants by the road.
Tuesday's 105-kilometer (65-mile) stage went through the Andorran mountains in
a short route that featured four climbs that favored the top contenders in the
three-week race.
Pogacar attacked on the second climb and moved ahead his rivals with 50
kilometers (31 miles) to go, surpassing his 43-kilometer (26.7-mile) solo run
set last month in the Tour de France. He had also won the first stage of the
Vuelta.
"I didn't have to do that but the pace was already super high in the first
climb, and in the second we were going basically fast from the bottom," Pogacar
said.
The race returns to Spain on Wednesday, with riders facing a hilly
173.3-kilometer (107.7-mile) route that starts in Catalonia. A sprint finish is
expected in the small city of Roquetes in northeastern Spain.
Pogacar had entered the fourth stage leading the general classification by nine
seconds over Wout van Aert, with Matthew Brennan another second behind in third
place.
Pogacar, the Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates, made his Grand Tour debut at the
Vuelta in 2019, winning three stages and finishing third, but he had not raced
in the Vuelta again until this year.
He won the Tour de France for a third straight time and a record-tying fifth
overall in July. His Giro d'Italia win in 2024 put him in position to become
the ninth male rider to win all three Grand Tours.
The Vuelta finishes in the southern Spanish city of Granada on Sept. 13.
___
See full AP coverage of European sports here
