As it happened: Breakaway hearts broken as the sprinters take stage 4 of La Vuelta Femenina

Hello once more and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of the 2026 La Vuelta Femenina. today is stage 4, between Monforte de Lemos and Antas de Ulla.

Tuesday's third stage was a cracker, with EF Education-Oatly attacking repeatedly and Cedrine Kerbaol taking the win.
The French woman took her win with a late solo raid.

Once again, we roll out at 14:05 today, leaving Monforte de Lemos and it's lumpy from the start. The 115.3km stage climbs 2,002m of elevation with two third classified climbs before the finish in Antas de Ulla.

What does pre-race favourite Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney think of the race so far?

It's not been such a great season for the once all-conquering SD Worx-Protime squad. There or there abouts all the time, they're not winning too much.

Lotte Kopecky took another second place on Tuesday and says, "Things are really not going our way."

It's sign on time for UAE Team ADQ, today could be good for Paula Blasi.

We're rolling for the almost 5km of neutralised start before the racing begins.

Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ) is leading the race, but what about the other classifications?
Who's where at the Vuelta Femenina?

There's little change in the weather for today's stage, the forecast says the high temperature will be around 16º, with some rain possible and light winds from the north.

Let's go racing!
The flag has dropped and the race is on. It's another shortish stage, so will we get an early break or will there be a big fight to get away?

The race is on

There are 118 riders in the bunch, with no attacks able to gain any traction so far.

Despite it being another lumpy old day, we could get another sprint finish.
Will Kopecky finally get her stage win?

We have two riders up the road! No names just yet.

Attack!

We're now almost 10km into the race, but who doesn't want to see the roll out?

Four women attacked, but Maud Oudeman (Visma-Lease a Bike), Aniek van Alphen (Fenix-Premier Tech, Ana Vitoriá Magalhāes (Movistar) and Francesca Hall (Mayenne-Monbana My Pie) weren't allowed to get too far.

Don't worry, another group is now up the road.

The day's first climb comes early in the day, the Alto de Oural starting after 14.1km and covers 5..4km at an average gradient of 4.7%. We're almost there now.

Annelies Nijssen (Lotto-Intermarché Ladies) and MArine Allione (Mayenne-Monbana My Pie) arę away. The pair have 48 seconds over the peloton.

On the climb now and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal) might be interested in chasing the leaders down as the South African currently leads the mountains classification.

We do have a counter-attack with Inge van der Heijden (Fenix-Premier Tech) chasing just ahead of the bunch, which is 1.30 behind the leading duo.

99km to go

Fenix-Premier Tech have clearly identified today as a breakaway day. Van der Heijden is the second rider they've sent up the road, though she might struggle to close the gap now it's more than a minute.

It's all going on now, Nijssen and Allione lead, but Van der Heijden was briefly joined by Josie Talbot (Liv-Alula-Jayco) trying to chase the leaders down.
No can do, though, they're caught and our leading duo have 1.25.

There's a battle going on for the mountains jersey.
While Allione was first over the top, scoring 6 points, with Nijssen taking 4, Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) was third and now leads the classification after Moolman-Pasio was fourth over the Alto de Oural.

There's another little climb now before a long descent and the bunch has almost caught the breakaway. If and when another group tries to get away this will be a tough day.

The race is a state of constant flux, Lauretta Hanson (Lidl-Trek) has joined Nijssen and Allione, but they're only just ahead of the peloton.

90km to go

We've done 30km and the breakaway is still not formed conclusively, Nijssen, Allione and Hanson lead by only 15 seconds.

The gaps are growing, but now there is another rider in the gap, Marta Jaskulska (Human Powered Health) is chasing the three leaders.
She's 25 seconds behind with the bunch a further 10 seconds down.

This counter-attack may well bring a reaction from the bunch, it's only a short stage remember, and some teams may be happier with three, rather than four riders up the road.

Nijssen, Allione and Hanson lead Jaskulska by 25 seconds with the peloton 35 seconds behind the lead.
We're now at the top of another, unclassfied climb.

80km

Jaskulska reaches the front, she, Nijssen, Allione and Hanson lead by 35 seconds. It's relentless!

And breathe. Annelies Nijssen (Lotto-Intermarché Ladies), Marine Allione (Mayenne-Monbana My Pie, Lauretta Hanson (Lidl-Trek) and Marta Jaskulska (Human Powered Health) now lead by more than one minute.

Of the four riders at the front, Nijssen is the best paced on the general classification, the Belgian rider starting the day only 1.58 behind the race leader, Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ).

The gap is increasing now, Nijssen, Allione, Jaskulska and Hanson lead by 1.58.

Nijssen is now the virtual overall leader of the Vuelta Femenina. Just about! She, Allione, Jaskulska and Hanson have 1.59 on the peloton, giving the French rider a one second lead.

70km to go

Nijssen, Allione, Jaskulska and Hanson really have been allowed their head, their lead is now out to 2.40.
There are advantages and disadvanates to being in the overall lead, so let's see whether Koch's FDJ team chase the break down.

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It's been another year of near-misses for Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, but the Canyon-Sram-zondacrypto rider will keep on attacking a the Vuelta this week.
"You never know if you don't try."

Nijssen, Allione, Jaskulska and Hanson's lead has now settled at 3.18. Allione is clearly the virtual leader of the race, with Jaskulska in second as she started the day 2.22 behind the lead.

The pace is up in the bunch again and the leaders' advantage is being slowly whittled down. Liv-Alula-Jayco are on the front, with SD Worx-Protime in close attendance.

60km to go

The peloton has become a seething mass of riders, with attack after attack stretching it before it comes back together.

Of those attacks, Lieke Nooijen (Visma-Lease a Bike) is the only one to go clear. However, she's now back in the peloton.
The brakaway have lost a minute of their lead though, it's now 2.25.

And it's settled again. The peloton are tightly bunched together, while Nijssen, Allione, Jaskulska and Hanson lead by 2.20.

The peloton is taking a moment to refuel and replenish, riders heading back to the car to collect drinks and food.

FDJ United-SUEZ are back on the front leading the peloton while Nijssen, Allione, Jaskulska and Hanson lead by 3.20.

50km to go

Of the breakaway, Hanson is the most experienced, the Lidl-Trek rider is one of the great engines of the women's peloton, a real worker for her team, often seen on the front bringing breakaways back.

Jaskulska is also a strong rouleur who was the Polish national time trial champion in 2024.

Allione is in her second year with the Mayenne team, join last season when it was called Winspace Orange Seal. Her best ever result was 6th at the Vuelta CV Feminas earlier this year.

Annelies Nijssen is a solid all-rounder, performing well on all terrains. She's also the youngest in the leading group.
That group is currently 3.12 ahead of the bunch.

The second classified climb of the day is coming up now. The oddly named Alto do Hospital is tough one, 4.1km with an average gradient of 6.6%, though the steady gradient makes it a good climb to get in a rhythm. We start climbing with 38.2km to go.

With the climb coming up now there are little signs the peloton might be interested in the mountains points at the top.
The gap is coming down again, it's only 2.53.

40km to go

As the breakaway commence the climb they're 2.45 head, despite the peloton thundering along into the bottom.

On the climb the gap is edging down, though not fast, it's 2.27 now.

In the bunch the pace on the climb isn't high enough to drop many riders, and though the deficit to the leaders is down, it is now steady. If the sprinters get over the top of this we may well see them compete for the win.

Allione takes maximum points on the climb, putting her level on points with Squiban. Because she won the climbs today, she gets the jersey.

30km to go

Despite Allione's sprint for the mountains points, the peloton have taken 20 seconds out of their lead.
It's down marginally to 2.05.

The breakaway's lead is now 1.56, meaning Koch is now back in the virtual overall lead.

SD Worx-Protime are now on the front of the peloton, Austrian climber Valentina Cavallar setting the pace.
Are the team going for the win?

Cavallar competed at the Tokyo Olympics, rowing for her country. Today's fourth stage is only her fifth race day of the year.

The race is entering a critical phase now, the leaders have 1.41 on the bunch, they could still stay away but they'll need to work very hard to do so.

20km to go

With Cavallar nailing it on the front, SD Worx are showing their stage winning intent, taking chunks out of the breakaway's advantage. Something will have to change for the break to make it to the line.

We do have an intermediate sprint to come, but it's very late in the day. Only 5.2km from the finish, it could serve as a launch point, or it may not be competed for, the sprinters saving their legs for the finish.

It's a lumpy final few kilometres, but not hilly, with just 200 of today's 2,000m left to climb.
The gap is at 1.20, it's actually close.

15km to go

Lotto-Intermarché are now close to the front of the peloton, trying to baulk the chase as they have Nijssen up the road.

But Movistar realise what the Belgian squad are up to and take up the chase themselves.

Allione is dropped from the leading group and Nijssen is struggling too. This came after an attack from Jaskulska.
Now there are just two women on the front, Hanson and Jaskulska, both WorldTour riders, as opposed to ProTeam riders.

The two biggest engines are alone at the front now, with AG Insurance-Soudal riding on the front, probably for stage 2 winner, Shari Bossuyt.
The gap is 1.11.

With two strong, experienced riders on the front there'll be no finessing or messing around, they'll ride.
Cavallar is back on the front, helping AG Insurance's Julie Van de Velde.
1.10 is the gap.

10km to go

Now this is touch and go. Jaskulska and Hanson will certainly take the intermediate sprint, though whether Nijssen is caught by then, we'll need to wait to find out.

8KM left and the gap has gone out, it's 1.12.

SD Worx and AG In surname still work, but they're not making a real dent in Jaskulska and Hanson's lead.

Liv-Alula-Jayo are helping the chase now, they have Letizia Paternoster for the sprint.

Nijssen is caught just before the intermediate sprint. One bonus second for the peloton, then.

Jaskulska takes the sprint, but the leader ride through they don't compete.

After the intermediate sprint, we enter the final 5km on the descent from a short climb, but we're uphill again shortly afterwards. Most of the last 3km is uphill, though the steepest gradient come early on and the last 300m are false flat.

5km

Koch takes the remaining bonus second. The gap is down to 37 seconds ad there's a counter attack from Sarah Martín (Movistar).

Martín is caught and another Movistar rider goes, it's Margalhāes.
She's caught though, and SD Worx nail it.

Movistar continue attacking, but with little effect. Another small hill and Katherina Schrempf (Fenix-Premier Tech ties her luck.
The break are almost caught.

3km to go

2km to go and SD Worx are there. They're determined to take a stage win, but can they convert their effort into success?

Movistar keep attacking but they're going nowhere.

SD Worx on the front again, with numbers.

Final kilometre, and positioning is key as we have to sharp turns to come, first left, then right before the closing 300m.

There's a lot movement at the front as riders try to stay out of the wind in the final.

Kopecky second wheel into the first bend and the second bend!

Kopecky goes from the 200m mark and takes the win.
There's drama too as part of the barrier had collapsed, it was well marshalled though and the sprint wasn't impeded.

Kopecky took the stage, team mate Anna van der Breggen was second, with Paternoster in third.

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With that win and the attendant 10 bonus seconds, Kopecky moves into the overall lead.

At last some luck and a consummate performance from SD Worx. They covered every move in the final and were in perfect position going into the crucial final two bends.
Anna van der Breggen was particularly impressive covering Kopecky's wheel and managing to finish second, holding off Paternoster.

"We had to be patient," Kopecky said. "Two times second, one time not so great, so we really believed in it as a team, that we were able to win, but we had to wait for it.

"Today was the easiest stage of the ones we had already, some long climbs but steady, but this finale was pretty hard, one moment I really though that we were not going to catch the break anymore. In this final three kilometres it was attack after attack, luckily my team mates they were just on fire and they could respond to all of them, I just had to jump from wheel to wheel, and in the end we were in the perfect position."

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What a day for Marine Allione and her Mayenne-Monbana My Pie team. The French woman was part of the first group to get away, and to wear a jersey in a Grand Tour is a boon for both rider and team.

Having worn the race leader's red jersey for two day Franziska Koch will be disappointed to lose it, but she and her FDJ United-SUEZ team have proven their class this year.
Whether they can bag a stage win or reach the final podium is to be seen, the latter likely to be on the shoulders of Évita Muzic, the team's first ever WorldTour race winner, way back in 2020 when she won the final stage of the 2020 Giro Rosa.

Before the race reaches the decisive mountain stages, Thursday's stage 5 is perhaps the easiest of the week.
Running between León and Astorga, the 119.7km course contains the least climbing of the week, with 1,146m.
There are two 3rd category climbs, but it's likely to be either a sprint or a day for the break.

Before that we'd like to thank you for joining us and look forward to tomorrow for the last stage before those high mountains.
We roll out at the slightly earlier time of 13:55 Spanish time, so we'll see you then.
Bye.