As it happened: Another day for the sprinters on stage 4 at Volta ao Algarve

Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 4 at the Volta ao Algarve

You join us for the penultimate stage of the Volta ao Algarve, a day with several hills where a sprint finish isn’t quite so nailed on as it has been on previous days.

One rider who will be hoping the race is controlled enough to end in a bunch sprint is Jordi Meeus. The Belgian rider was triumphant yesterday in the bunch finish, and also briefly believed he had won on the opening day having won that now-infamous fake ‘sprint’ on the wrong side of the road.

Not present at the start today is Romain Bardet, who abandoned the race yesterday after crashing. It turns out he fell when losing control over an unseen speed bump.

Jan Christen will again lead the race, having finished safely in the bunch yesterday. Though the climbing today isn’t especially taxing, as the last road stage before tomorrow’s climactic time trial, this is the final chance for anyone who doesn’t fancy their abilities against the clock to gain time and attempt to depose him.

The riders on on their bikes and making their way slowly through the neutralised zone. They will be seeing the flag soon.

There is one non-starter today: Iúri Leitão of Caja Rural - Seguros RGA.

Jarrad Drizners of Lotto has also not made it to the start today. 

Conditions are a little milder than they have been in previous days, with the temperature at 15 degrees.

175KM REMAINING

And they're off!

Nobody has managed to go clear so far.

Four men are now up the road, and the King of the Mountains German Nicolás Tivani is among them.

The other three riders are Johan Jacobs, Gorka Sorarrain and Warre Vangheluwe.

That quartet has a lead of 35 seconds. It seems we might have our break of the day already. 

160KM REMAINING

1-55 for the four leaders. They will be our break of the day.

Given the hillier parcours, we might have expected more of a battle to get into that break, as you sense the chances of it surviving to the finish is higher than previous stages. But with only four men in it, the peloton should be able to keep control.

There's lots of cycling action from around the world happening today - including at the UAE Tour, where the penultimate stage has just finished. 

The peloton has really sat up. They've already allowed the break four minutes.

150KM REMAINING

And still the gap grows. It's up to 5-30 - which I think is greater than any advantage of any stage of the race this year. 

They’re still taking it very easy in the peloton. They’ve now allowed the gap to grow to over seven minutes.

The riders have already spent much of the day going uphill, but nothing especially severe. Things will get harder soon, when they begin the frist official climb of the day, the category two Malhão.

140KM REMAINING

The gap now is 7-35. It's plateaued - perhaps that is as high as it will get. 

There were quite a few non-starters today. One of Jordi Meeus’ and 

Primož Roglič’s Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe supporters, Jonas Koch, pulled out, as have Antonio Carvalho (FEIRENSE - BEECELER), Leangel Rubén Linarez (Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua), Jarrad Drizners (Lotto) and Iúri Leitão (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA).

The breakaway riders are climbing the category two Malhão as we speak. It's only 2.2km long, but has vicious gradients averaging 8.8%.

As leader in the climber's competition, we can expect Tivani to ensure he's first to the summit from the break. 

ALTO DO MALHAO

Tivani does indeed take the 6 points on offer at the top. He extends his lead over Jan Christen in the mountains classification to 10 points.

130KM REMAINING

As the leaders descend, the peloton are on the climb, still 7-45 adrift. 

Here’s the full results from the KOM:

1 German Nicolás Tivani (6 points)

2 Johan Jacobs (4 points)

3 Warre Vangheluwe (3 points)

4 Gorka Sorarrain (2 points)

And here are the updated KOM rankings

1 German Nicolás Tivani (22 points)

2 Jan Christen (12)

3 Brent Van Moer (9)

4 João Almeida (8)

5 Laurens De Plus (6)

The peloton have also passed over the top of the climb, 7-25 after the leaders.

Intermarché–Wanty have joined race leaders UAE Team Emirates in controlling the peloton. Their sprinter Biniam Girmay seems to be coming into form having played second yesterday (boosted up a place after Alberto Dainese was relegated for dangerous sprinting), and will enjoy today’s hillier parcours than most of the other sprint candidates.

120KM REMAINING

Their work has seen the gap between the peloton and the four leaders stabilise at 7-45.

There isn’t another official climb for another 65km, when the riders will take on the first of three late hills that could complicate matters for the sprinters. The road eos undulate a little before then - including a small uphill the break are dealing with now.

There's a flat tyre for Jasper De Buyst in the peloton.

There’s more urgency in the peloton now. Visma-Lease a Bike and Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe have taken over in the peloton and upped the pace. 

110KM REMAINING

The increase in pace is reflected in the gap, which has come down to 6-35.

It’d be interesting to know what Visma and Red Bull’s motives are in leading the peloton. On one hand they both have sprinters they could be controlling the race for, in Wout van Aert and yesterday’s winner Jordi Meeus respectively.

But in Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič they also have GC men, who need to make up time on Jan Christen in the yellow jersey - time they might not necessarily be able to make in just tomorrow’s time trial alone.

Here's UAE Team Emirates leading the peloton earlier today.

As the riders climb an uncategorised ascent, the gap is coming down quickly now. It’s down from 6-30 to 5-30.

Interesting move here from Bahrain-Victorious. Two of their riders, Afonso Eulálio and Vlad Van Mechelen, have just attacked out of the peloton. 

110KM REMAINING

They've made that move despite the bunch still being a whole 5-40 behind the leaders. It's hard to determine what the plan is.

The Bahrain-Victorious pair is 20 seconds ahead of the peloton.

The penultimate stage of the Vuelta a Andalucia has come to a close - here's what happened.

Could the Bahrain pair be setting up their teammate Antonio Tiberi for an attack? The Italian was their main GC hope but finds himself down in 23rd having lost a lot of time on stage two’s summit finish.

It’d be an ambitious move, but Tiberi is the kind of punchy rider who could do something on the upcoming hills.

90KM REMAINING

The gap between the break and the peloton has come down a little, but remains healthy, at 4-55.

In between, Eulálio and Van Mechelen are committed to this move. They're 1-15 ahead of the peloton, and bearing down on the leaders, who are 3-40 ahead.

The riders are currently speeding down a long, albeit shallow, downhill section. Then comes the final phase of the race, which is characterised by small but frequent hills.

Here are the four riders up the road, leading the race.

80KM REMAINING

The gaps between the groups have remained the same for a little while. It's 4-40 from the peloton to the leaders, and 3-15 from the peloton to the Bahrain-Victorious riders. 

The leaders are done desecending, and will now embark on a series of rolling roads. The next official climb, Picota, is coming up in about 20km.

Jose Bicho of the APHotels & Resorts team has pulled out of the race.

70KM REMAINING

The lead group is slowing now relative to the others. Eulálio and Van Mechelen are 2-20 behind, the peloton 3-35.

Undeterred by his sixth place finish yesterday, EF Education-EasyPost are again contributing to the pace-setting in the peloton for their sprinter Madis Mihkels.

Here are the two Bahrain-Victorious riders. They're still getting closer to the leaders, closing the gap to two minutes, but that's still a lot of ground to make up.

60KM REMAINING

The peloton is chasing in earnest now. They've brought the leaders to within three minutes, and are only about one minute behind the Bahrain duo. 

Ángel Sánchez is the latest to leave the race. That leaves his Tavfer-Ovos Matinados-Mortágua team left with just four riders.

Wout van Aert is making his way through the bunch having taken a comfort break. He's a potential winner both for today in a sprint, and tomorrow in the time trial - though will need to show better form than he has done so far this season. 

Van Aert's Visma team are showing faith in him, with one of their domestiques leading the peloton.

The breakaway riders are climbing the Picota. Once more, we'd expect Tivani to take the points uncontested at the top.

The adventure of the Bahrain-Victorious riders Afonso Eulálio and Vlad Van Mechelen is over - they’ve been brought back by the peloton. It’s still hard to determine what the plan was, but whatever it was, it hasn’t worked.

PICOTA KOM

Tivani is indeed the first rider to roll over the summit. He should secure victory in the KOM classification today. 

50KM REMAINING

Now the peloton crest the climb, 3-37 behind the leaders. The pace there has slowed on thie climb

The results at the Picota climb:

1 German Nicolás Tivani (4 points)

2 Warre Vangheluwe (3 points)

3 Johan Jacobs (2 points)

That means Tivani has 26 points in total, 14 ahead of Jan Christen. There are only 3 more climbs left in the whole race - two today, and one in tomorrow's time trial. 

James Shaw leading the peloton, as he has spent much of this Volta ao Algarve doing.

40KM REMAINING

The race has settled into a holding pattern for now. The gap between the leading four and the peloton continues to hold at about three minutes. 

The break has gone through an intermediate sprint, but none had an incentive to sprint for it. Jacobs was first over the line.

The next climb, Santa Barbata, is coming in 12km’s time. With the category four Bordeira following shortly after, this will mark the endgame of the stage, where the racing will really be on.

The peloton will have to get a move on at some point if they are to be sure of reeling this break back.

And that’s happening as we speak. The peloton is strung out, with Lotto, EF and Visma among the teams leading at the front.

The increase in pace is being reflected by the gap, of which about 30 seconds have been shorn.

Riders at the back of the peloton, including Lewis Askey, are struggling to hang on.

30KM REMAINING

Less than 2 minutes for the leaders now. The peloton has this under control.

They're approaching the penultimate climb of the day. As it's harder than the final climb, if any attacks are going to be made out of the peloton, it'll likely be here.

The break have begun the Santa Barbara. 

A long line of what looks like the whole Visma-Lease a Bike team is leading the peloton to the foot of the climb. Are they controlling things for Van Aert - or possibly even setting up an attack?

All seven Visma riders are indeed present in the train leading the peloton.

The gap has dipped below a minute for the first time. 

Some riders are being dropped out of the peloton, including home favourite Ivo Oliveira of UAE Team Emirates.

The break reach the top of the climb. Tivani doesn't bother to take them this time, safe in the knowledge that he has the classification sewn up.

Now the peloton summit the climb, less than 30 seconds later. There was no attack from Van Aert, but his team has made his rivals' legs hurt.

SANTA BARBARA

KOM rankings

1 Johan Jacobs

2 Warre Vangheluwe

3 German Nicolás Tivani

The riders will now make their way along a plateau, before tackling the 5.2% slopes of the short 700 metre Bordeira climb.

There are a few hints of rain in the air. That could make the finale of the race following the climb, much of which is downhill, complicated.

Still Visma-Lease a Bike lead, but the leading quartet are stubbornly refusing to give in and are holding a lead of 20 seconds or so.

20KM REMAINING

The pace has slowed a bit, as Visma-Lease a Bike knock it off. As a result the gap has risen again, to 26 seconds.

The rain is not materialising. The rider might be OK on that front. 

They're on the climb, and Visma are at the front again.

This is a surge, to. There are gaps in the peloton.

About 20 riders have a small gap on the rest.

They're about to bring the break back.

BORDEIRA KOM

In fact, the catch is made just as they reach the summit.

The peloton appears to be all back together again.

Visma-Lease a Bike did try something on the climb, but it was too short to cause damage. The gaps that opened up have been closed. 

They might not have split the bunch, but Visma are still at the front setting a fierce pace on the descent.

Now a Lidl-Trek rider takes over at the front. 

But it's still Visma who have the strength in numbers with 3 men around the Lidl-Trek rider.

10KM REMAINING

Entering the the final ten kilometres!

The finish isn't one for the pure sprinters, with a drag uphill. That should play into the favour of the likes of Biniam Girmay and Arnaud De Lie - and of course Wout van Aert, for whom Visma have done so much work for.

Yesterday's victor Jordi Meeus will also fancy his chances of doubling up on such a finish.

Intermarché–Wanty are the latest team to put a rider on the front of the peloton, for Girmay.

It's still Visma though who have the most men there. Van Aert is being very well looked after. 

The peloton is certainly thinner than it was at the start of the day. Several riders must have been distanced on the final climb. But all of the leading sprinters and GC men appear to be here. 

5KM REMAINING

Not long 'till the sprint now.

Visma have lost their place at the front now, wth EF and Lidl better placed.

Mechancal for Vingegaard. But they're within the final 3km cut off, so no worries for him.

Lidl and EF vying for the front as they near the last 1km.

1KM REMAINING

Final kilometre

Lidl's Vacek leads the peloton round a roundabout.

Girmay is well positioned, 2nd in line

Fretin takes the wins!

FRETIN WINS

Cofidis' Milan Fretin takes the win in the sprint

His Cofidis team were one of the few sprinter outfits not to be seen doing work at the front of the peloton in the finale. 

Filippo Ganna also launched a sprint, and finished second.

De Lie led the sprint for a while after coming off the wheel of Girmay, but Fretin edged him at the line.

Ganna was actually pipped into third by Meeus, with De Lie fading to fourth and Girmay fifth. 

It was close on the line, with Fretin, Meeus and Ganna all side-by-side at the line. 

As for Van Aert, he had to check his sprint when he and Fretin were squeezed for space. He didn't seem to be carrying too much speed, but could have landed a top five finish.

Van Aert certainly isn't blaming anyone for his failure to register a high finish "I was just not strong enough in the sprint," are his words at the finish.

The results in full:

1 Milan Fretin

2 Jordi Meeus

3 Filippo Ganna

4 Arnaud De Lie

5 Biniam Girmay

6 Madis Mihkels

7 Wout van Aert

8 Nicolo Buratti

9 Casper Van Uden

10 Jasper Stuyven all st.

Here's Fretin, Meeus and Ganna all lunging for the line. You can see just how close it was between them.

Jan Christen defends the yellow jersey for another day, ahead of tomorrow's climactic time trial. As well as having to defend 20 second lead over Jonas Vingegaard, he'll also do battle with UAE Team Emirates teammate João Almeida, who is only four seconds behind on GC.

We'll be covering that stage tomorrow, so be sure to join us again to find out how this Volta ao Algarve concludes!