Volta a Catalunya: Valverde wins stage 4 in La Molina

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The Movistar team dominated the mountain stage up to the ski resort of La Molina in the Volta a Catalunya, with Alejandro Valverde winning the stage and taking back the overall race lead.

Egan Bernal (Team Sky) and Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) were the only two able to respond when Valverde, Nairo Quintana and Marc Soler forced the selection in the final seven kilometres of the stage. Bernal bravely tried to attack the trio and eventually distanced Soler but then Quintana and Valverde worked him over, with the veteran Spaniard jumping past his younger rival to win the stage.

Quintana finished six seconds back with Latour fighting to hold on for fourth place at 23 seconds. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) brought home the chase but was 53 seconds behind.

Valverde now leads Bernal by 19 seconds in the general classification, with Quintana moving up to third at 26 seconds after overnight leader Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal) finished well behind the leaders.

Pinot, Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates), George Bennett and Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo), Simon Yates, Hugh Carthy (EF Education Frist-Drapac) and Ben Hermans (Israel Cycling Project) are now all more than a minute behind in the overall classification.

"It was very hard, very cold day. The team rode like ten men, they controlled the race the whole time. Soler and Quintana made it very easy for me, all I had to do was finish," Valverde said, showing respect to young rival Bernal but happy to have won for a seventh time this season.

"I knew Bernal was quick and it would be hard to beat him, he's a very talented rider but hey, I won again!" Valverde said.

From the sun to the snow

The riders enjoyed the warm, sunny weather at the start in Llanars but knew they would climb up above the snow line for the 1925m high Coll de la Creueta climb and again for the finish in La Molina, where Dan Martin won in 2016 and Valverde in 2017.

Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) and Gregor Bole (Bahrain-Merida) were the only two missing at the start after the Briton's late crash on Wednesday, while a stomach problem forced Bole out of the race.

Several attacks came early in the race but Movistar kept the pace high and led the chase thinking about the time bonuses on offer after 23 and 50km. The first hour was raced at 49kmh, with Valverde winning the second sprint to collect a three-second time bonus. It was an ominous sign for the finale of the stage.

The second, far more mountainous half of the stage began after 90km, with Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott) making a solo attack.

The Colombian lost time on Wednesday but was chasing stage glory. He was joined by Joey Rosskopf (BMC), Toms Skujinš (Trek-Segafredo) and Stephane Rossetto (Cofidis) but soon pushed clear alone. He gained 1:15 on the long climb of the Coll de la Creueta but Movistar refused to let him go clear. Indeed, it was Valverde who went across to him on the long descent but then refused to work.

In the hesitation Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Merida) used his aero tuck and descending skills to go solo on the 40km of fast roads to the foot of the final climb. But he was just a hare for Movistar to chase across the moon-like snow-covered landscape.

The finale of the stage exploded with 11km to go as the climb to La Molina began to bite. Latour and Soler went away first; they were joined by others but then Valverde powered across, as part of a clearly planned tactic, with Quintana and Bernal also in tow.

Soler is a huge young talent but naturally sacrificed his chances for his team leaders. He tried to attack Bernal several times and then powered away at the front to drag the quintet away from the chasers. Only Latour could hang onto their coat tails thanks to a huge effort. Bernal, sensing he was out numbered, went on the offensive himself but could only distance Soler and then Latour, leaving him caught in a sky-blue Valverde and Quintana sandwich.

Quintana generously worked on the front for Valverde in the final five kilometres, ensuring that the chase group lost even more time and only moving off the front and easing up with 500 metres to go. Then Valverde took over. He marked Bernal and made sure he had the best line in the curving finish so that he could win the sprint with ease.

It was yet another profitable show of strength by Movistar.

Friday's 212km stage is again in the snow-covered Pyrenees, with three major climbs and a descent to the finish.

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