As it happened - Queen Stage comes down to two man sprint on Volta a Catalunya stage four

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Peloton tackles 188.7km from Sant Vicenç de Castellet to Montserrat Mil·lenari summit

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Hello and welcome to CyclingNews' live report of stage four at the Volta a Catalunya 2025.

Today's stage covers 188.7km starting in Sant Vicenç de Castellet and finishing with a summit finish on Montserrat Mil·lenari. They start just below the final mountain and do a big loop before coming back and taking on the 9km test with average gradients of 6.2% and a max of 13%. The weather is very pleasant today with sunshine, patches of cloud and very little wind. 

Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and others give their reaction on what was a "crazy" finale to stage three, yesterday...

New race leader, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) praises Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) after the multiple Vuelta champion sprinted fairly with the Catalan star in yesterday's finale...

And to today's stage, it is a historic return to the Montserrat climb after three decades away...

Bahrain Victorious lose two riders in as many days as crashes marred their stage yesterday. Rainer Kepplinger left during yesterday's stage whereas Finlay Pickering managed to finished but has abandoned this morning with both suffering from elbow injuries. 

The riders are currently signing on for this fourth stage of the race with just over five minutes until the neutral start in Sant Vicenç de Castellet.

Neutralised start

Shortly after the start there is a short sharp climb with gradients hitting around 7%, a perfect launchpad for the early break. However, after just over 11km of riding, there is the first intermediate sprint of the day in Manresa with the usual 3, 2 and 1 point(s) and bonus second(s) available, will the peloton be interested at all?

Joining Finlay Pickering (Bahrain Victorious) on the DNS list are:

188.7km to go

Attack!

But no sooner has he attacked but Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier is dragged back by the peloton. 

With just over 5km to the intermediate sprint, five riders have a small gap on the peloton. 

The peloton drag the five man break back but there are splits over the top of the little kicker in the opening stages. The climb has stretched the bunch out and the elastic is snapping on the descent. 

Just over 2km to the intermediate sprint in Manresa. 

180km to go

There are multiple groups off the back. Still waiting to see if any riders involved in the GC fight have been caught out. 

Intermediate sprint (Manresa)

That intermediate sprint win sees Primož Roglič move to just four seconds behind Juan Ayuso. The fight is very much on. 

There are eight riders trying to force a gap on the peloton and form the break of the day. 

Attack!

Four riders are chasing the eight leaders as they try to bridge:

170km to go

The chasers are closing in on the leaders as the gap dips inside 15" but the gap to the peloton has stretched to 45". Could this large group get away?

The two breakaway groups come together to form a break of 12 riders. However, they only have 45" on the peloton. 

With Embret Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkea-B&B Hotels) being the best placed at 2'51", this group should be allowed some leeway. And this may be happening as the gap goes out to 50" between the break and the peloton. 

The gap finally goes out to over a minute between the 12 leaders and the chasing pack. 

Abandon

Abandon

150km to go

After the three abandons from Alpecin-Deceuninck today and the one from Stan Van Tricht yesterday, they are left with just three riders. Tibor Del Grosso, Edward Planckaert and Jimmy Janssens. A disappointing race for the Belgian squad. 

After an hour of racing the average speed is 41.8kph. A brisk start considering the amount of climbing. 

Reminder of the break:

UAE Team Emirates-XRG lead the peloton for race leader, Juan Ayuso. But they are being shadowed by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe who are looking after second overall, Primož Roglič.

Under 10km to the next intermediate sprint, which is situated in Torà. This should belong to the break but their lead is still only just under a minute and a half. UAE Team Emirates-XRG are clearly keeping the pace high in the bunch. 

The gap to the break has extended to 1'40". Maybe the peloton have finally decided to let the break go. 

Bike change

Intermediate sprint (Torà)

There's now over 55km before the first categorised climb of the day, the 5km long Turó del Puig which has an average gradient of 5.6% and a max of 12% with 5, 3 2 and 1 point(s) available. 

The gap has extended to over two and a half minutes. The break has finally been allowed to go. 

The break have around three minutes on the peloton now. This mans that Norwegian rider Embret Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkea-B&B Hotels) is the virtual race leader. 

110km to go

Mechanical in break

The peloton has dramatically upped the pace and the gap is reducing fast. The gap is now at 2'20" and is coming down. 

100km to go

The last time the finishing climb of Montserrat featured in the Volta a Catalunya was in 2021 when it wasn't a finish but it was en route to Manresa. The stage was won by Lennard Kämna (Lidl-Trek), who is in the breakaway today. 

Bike change in break

Abandon

The riders are on another uncategorised climb that, in any other race would be a category three climb at the very least. 

The peloton has eased up again and the time gap is back over three minutes again meaning that Embret Svestad-Bårdseng is, once again, the virtual race leader. 

The riders now begin a long descent to the base of the, believe it or not after 1400+ metres of climbing, first categorised climb of the day, the Turó del Puig. 5km at an average of 5.6% and maxing out at 12%. 5, 3, 2 and 1 point(s) available. 

80km to go

Just 5km before the riders start the first climb of the day, the Turó del Puig.

70km to go

The riders have started the Turó del Puig.

Attack in break!

Staune-Mittet and Steinhauser have 15" on the rest of the break as they near the top of the Turó del Puig. 

The leading duo continue to extend their advantage to 30" on the 10 chasers with three minutes back to the bunch. 

Abandon

60km to go

After three hours of racing the average speed is 43kph. 

KoM (Turó del Puig)

Splits in the peloton on this rapid descent. Lots of groups on the road after the technical terrain and high pace with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Ineos Grenadiers. 

50km to go

The leaders have just gone over another uncategorised climb as they descend to another uncategorised hill then it is a dive down to the start of the climb up Montserrat. 

Abandon

40km to go

30km to go

Parra (Kern Pharma), Van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL), Rolland (Groupama-FDJ) and Bouchard (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) have broken away from the other chasers as they try and close the gap to Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) and Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) out front. But, they're 40" down. 

Caught by peloton

20km to go

Soudal-QuickStep getting involved in the chase back in the peloton with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Ineos Grenadiers and the gap has dipped under two minutes. 

Caught by peloton

Caught by peloton

Bizarrely, Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos-Burpellet-BH) has been awarded the most combative rider of the day despite not doing anything aside from getting into the day's breakaway. 

10km to go

Onto the final climb they go! The Montserrat Mil·lenari which is 9km with an average gradient of 6.2% with a maximum kick of 13%. 

Attack in break

Caught by the breakaway

James Knox (Soudal-QuickStep) was leading the peloton but now Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) leading the way with 6km to go as the group is being whittled down. 

5km to go

Steinhauser looks like he is starting to really hurt as his time gap is being destroyed as Soler has taken the gap down to 24" with 4km to go. 

Steinhauser still has the steepest part of the climb to come and the peloton are now within 20". 

Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) looking to be in trouble at the back of what is left of the peloton. 

Soler is done on the front and Adam Yates takes over the pacing for his UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader, Juan Ayuso, who is in second wheel followed by Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). 

Dropped

Attack!

Juan Ayuso leads the way with Primož Roglič now onto the race leader's wheel. He looked so smooth riding across to the Spaniard. 

Mikel Landa and Enric Mas are coming back to Primož Roglič and Juan Ayuso. 

Primož Roglič ups the pace and distances Landa and Mas. Ayuso still with the Slovenian. 

Flamme Rouge

Into the final 500 metres and the chasers are coming back to Roglič and Ayuso and they make the catch!

Attack!

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) wins stage four of the Volta a Catalunya 2025 on the line! An exact opposite of yesterday. 

Juan Ayuso and Primož Roglič are now level on time in the general classification. 

Top 10

GC after stage four

Have a read of our post race report from today's fantastic stage by clicking the link below...

Tomorrow's stage is a day that should suit the remaining fast men as they cover 172km from Paüls to Amposta. The early climb of the Coll de La Font could cause some problems but it tops out with over 140km to go, so everyone should be able to get back in again. 

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