Defending champ Primoz Roglic wins tough uphill sprint in Laguardia to take overall Vuelta lead
The Slovenian three-time defending champion claims victory in a medium mountain stage as the Vuelta returned to Spain on Tuesday (23 August 2022).
Cycling Road
Primoz Roglic's quest for a fourth consecutive Vuelta a España general classification win appears on track after the Slovenian cyclist claimed a hard-fought win on Stage 4 of the 2022 race on Tuesday (23 August).
The Jumbo-Visma rider bade his time during the stage, a 153.5km route in the Basque Country from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia, as the peloton let the early breakaway make it well into the race before it was caught with 34km to go.
That was the signal for Roglic and his teammates, who worked hard to position the Slovenian heading into the day's second climb, a Category-3 trek up the Puerto de Herrera. That climb was marked as a bonus summit, awarding the first man over the top three bonus seconds – and while world champion Julian Alaphilippe attacked first nearing the top of the climb, a Roglic counter-attack ensured he would take the full collection of bonus seconds.
With an uphill finish looming in Laguardia, teams began placing their favourites in position, with the exception of Trek-Segafredo. Trek were instead working for Mads Pedersen, the 2019 world champion who had finished second on the previous two pure sprint stages but had made it over Stage 4's medium mountains.
Movistar, working for Enric Mas, led the bunch into the final turns on the steep uphill incline, but it was Trek and Pedersen who hit the front as the finish came into view. However, Pedersen ultimately had no answer for the seasoned climber Roglic as the Dane sat down in the closing metres, crossing the line second once more.
It means Roglic takes over the race leader's red jersey for Stage 5 from Irún to Bilbao.
READ MORE: Vuelta a España 2022 preview
Vuelta a España 2022 results: Stage 4 - Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia, 152.5km - Tuesday 23 August
- Primoz Roglic (SLO / Jumbo-Visma), 3:31:05
- Mads Pedersen (DEN / Trek-Segafredo), same time
- Enric Mas (ESP / Movistar Team), same time
- Quentin Pacher (FRA / Groupama-FDJ), same time
- Pavel Sivakov (FRA / Ineos Grenadiers), same time
Vuelta a España 2022: General classification standings after Stage 4 - Tuesday 23 August
- Primoz Roglic (SLO / Jumbo-Visma), 11:50:59
- Sepp Kuss (USA / Jumbo-Visma), +0:13
- Ethan Hayter (GBR / Ineos Grenadiers), +0:26
- Pavel Sivakov (FRA / Ineos Grenadiers), +0:26
- Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBR / Ineos Grenadiers), +0:26
Stage-by-stage winners of the 2022 Vuelta a España
- Stage 1: 19 August, Utrecht to Utrecht (team time trial, 23.3km) – Won by Jumbo-Visma, Robert Gesink (Jumbo-Visma) takes overall leader's red jersey
- Stage 2: 20 August, 's-Hertogenbosch to Utrecht (175.1km) – Won by Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe), Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma) takes overall lead
- Stage 3: 21 August, Breda to Breda (193.5km) – Won by Sam Bennett, Edoardo Affini (Jumbo-Visma) takes overall lead
- Rest Day 1: 22 August (transfer day)
- Stage 4: 23 August, Vitoria-Gasteiz to Laguardia (152.5km) – Won by Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), who also takes the overall lead
- Stage 5: 24 August, Irún to Bilbao (187.2km)
- Stage 6: 25 August, Bilbao to Ascensión al Pico Jano, San Miguel de Aguayo (181.2km)
- Stage 7: 26 August, Camargo to Cistierna (190km)
- Stage 8: 27 August, La Pola Llaviana/Pola de Laviana to Colláu Fancuaya, Yernes y Tameza (153.4km)
- Stage 9: 28 August, Villaviciosa to Les Praeres, Nava (171.4km)
- Rest Day 2: 29 August
- Stage 10: 30 August, Elche to Alicante (time trial, 30.9km)
- Stage 11: 31 August, ElPozo Alimentación, Alhama de Murcia to Cabo de Gata (191.2km)
- Stage 12: 1 September, Salobreña to Peñas Blancas, Estepona (192.7km)
- Stage 13: 2 September, Ronda to Montilla (168.4km)
- Stage 14: 3 September, Montoro to Sierra de la Pandera (160.3km)
- Stage 15: 4 September, Martos to Sierra Nevada, Alto Hoya de la Mora, Monachil (152.6km)
- Rest Day 3: 5 September
- Stage 16: 6 September, Sanlúcar de Barrameda to Tomares (189.4km)
- Stage 17: 7 September, Aracena to Monasterio de Tentudía (162.3km)
- Stage 18: 8 September, Trujillo to Alto de Piornal (192km)
- Stage 19: 9 September, Talavera de la Reina to Talavera de la Reina (138.3km)
- Stage 20: 10 September, Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada (181km)
- Stage 21: 11 September, Las Rozas to Madrid, Paisaje de la Luz (96.7km)