Tadej Pogačar dominates to win 4th stage of Spanish Vuelta and take control of the Grand Tour race

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ANDORRA LA VELLA, Andorra (AP) — Tadej Pogačar 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.

Pogačar 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,” Pogačar 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.”

Pogačar'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.

Pogačar 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,” Pogačar 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.

Pogačar 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.

Pogačar, 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.

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