Vuelta a España 2025 stage 4 preview - Longest day of racing stretches across the Italian and French Alps

CERES, ITALY - AUGUST 25: (L-R) Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark - Red Leader Jersey and Matteo Jorgenson of The United States and Team Visma | Lease a Bike compete during the La Vuelta - 80th Tour of Spain 2025, Stage 3 a 134.6km stage from San Maurizio Canavese to Ceres 704m / #UCIWT / on August 25, 2025 in Ceres, Italy. (Photo by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Climbs
Sprints

Start time: 11:25 CET
Finish time: 16:45 CET
How to watch stage 4 of the Vuelta a España
Favourites to win the stage: Mads Pedersen, Victor Langelotti, Magnus Sheffield

Tuesday's stage 4 brings the longest route of the Vuelta a España, with 206.7 kilometres through the Alps of Italy for a stop in France. The opening 77km from the start in the Susa are all uphill, featuring the climbs of Montgenèvre and Lautaret, and then level out for a fast finish with a slight uphill into Voiron.

A category 3 ascent to Puerto Exiles strikes immediately, 10.5km from the start, and leads to the 8.4km ascent of Col de Montgenèvre, which marks entry from Italy to France. Once through Briançon, the peloton will complete the 13.8km stretch to Col du Lautaret.

There's almost 80km of sloping downhill terrain until the riders hit the uncategorised rise at Le Pont-de-Claix, leaving 12km to an intermediate sprint in Noyarey. The rush to Voiron will be in full flight with 32km remaining, most of that flat, but an uphill 3km inside the city with a number of turns. The final left-hand corner is a 400 metres from the finish, which should play out for a bunch sprint.

Stage 4 profile of 2025 Vuelta a España

Stage 4 profile (Image credit: Unipublic)

Climbs

Km 10.4: Cat. 3 - Puerto Exiles
Km 37.8: Cat.2 - Col de Montgenevre
Km 76.8: Cat.2 - Col du Lauteret

Sprints

Noyarey, km. 174.4 - time bonus

TOPICS

Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.

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