La Vuelta Femenina Stage 4 - Anna van der Breggen launches stunning solo attack, rides to first victory since comeback

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-ProTime) took her first victory in almost four years on Stage 4 of La Vuelta Espana Femenina, confirming herself as a top contender within the women’s peloton in her comeback year. The former world and Olympic champion launched a solo move with just under 7km remaining, and she held her nerve, resisting an elite chasing pack of GC contenders to take a second consecutive stage victory for her team.

It was a nervous day out on the roads, with two climbs on the menu and a stage win up for grabs, and it all kicked off on the final climb as expected, though it was not until the descent that followed that Van der Breggen and a select group of riders moved clear of the rest. Van der Breggen’s attack was the one that stuck, however, as her extensive experience and power came into play, and she rode solo over the line, with Marianne Vos winning the sprint from the group behind to come second. Demi Vollering rounded out the day’s podium, while Van der Breggen’s teammate Femke Gerritse, who won yesterday’s stage, was able to come through in the top 10 to extend her reign in red ahead of a big day in the mountains tomorrow.

If today's stage whetted the appetite for those aiming for the overall victory, tomorrow will be a surfeit of opportunity, with a testing double ascent to draw out the best among this year's crop.

The Lagunas de Neila in the Burgos region will be climbed twice, from two different sides. The second time around it is classed as a category 1 climb and the summit will be the finish line, where the best climbers in the race will assert their dominance on the GC standings at the end of the day.

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-ProTime) took her first victory in almost four years on Stage 4 of La Vuelta Espana Femenina, launching a solo attack with just under 7km remaining and holding off an elite chasing pack of GC contenders to take a second consecutive stage victory for her team.

Marianne Vos won the sprint from the group behind, with Demi Vollering taking third, and Van der Breggen’s teammate Femke Gerritse, who won yesterday’s stage, was able to come through in the top 10 to extend her reign in red ahead of a big day in the mountains tomorrow.

Speaking immediately after the race, today's winner Anna van der Breggen expressed her surprise, as she scored her first victory in almost four years.

"I did not expect this at all," she said. "It was also not the plan. But we were with a small group in a downhill and at that point I was alone, and the speed was out, and I saw a good moment, so I went, and I did not expect to arrive solo, but it feels really nice.

"We know it could be a hard last climb, and we just wanted to be there, Mischa [Bredewold], Gerri [Femke Gerritse] and me, for sure, and the girls fight. But in the end, it was a really small group, so the strategy was actually to try with Gerri again.

"Yesterday already was such a good day – we call her Gerri, sorry, her name is Femke – to see Femke winning yesterday and getting that confidence that she can beat one of the best sprinters the peloton has with Marianne [Vos}, it gave her such a confidence boost, so that was a really great day for the team. And we also did not expect this, I mean, not at all.

"It's going really well. But tomorrow will be honest. I mean, this bit on the climb was hard, and you saw how small the group was, so it's gonna be fighting, for sure. But until now. I mean, this is in the pocket, so, for sure really good days for us to start with."

It has been a great day for SD Worx-ProTime. The Dutch team secured their second consecutive stage victory, retain the red jersey with Femke Gerritse, and have their GC leader Van der Breggen well-positioned in second place, ahead of tomorrow's huge climbing stage up to Lagunas de Neila.

1. Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-ProTime)

2. Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-ProTime) +4"

3. Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) +10"

4. Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) +21"

5. Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek) +23"

6. Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) +23"

7. Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) +26"

8. Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-ProTime) +26"

9. Mavi Garcia (Liv AlUla Jayco) +26"

10. Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) +29"

1. Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-ProTime)

2. Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)

3. Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez)

4. Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco)

5. Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly)

6. Liane Lippert (Movistar)

7. Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-ProTime)

8. Marlen Reusser (Movistar)

9. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto)

10. Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek)

It's a stunning comeback victory for the former world champion Anna van der Breggen. This one feels as though it's been on the cards since she returned to the peloton at the beginning of the season. She played that to perfection tactically, and her teammates are delighted for her as they join her beyond the finish line.

Marianne Vos comes in second and Demi Vollering is third.

Van der Breggen has the space she needs to pick her way through the twists and turns of the final couple of kilometers, and she continues to hold off the chasers.

Femke Gerritse makes it back into the chase group with a strong effort, and can now run interference in the chase group in service of van der Breggen. This is a strong team showing from SD Worx-ProTime.

Anna van der Breggen opens up her lead, and the rest of the riders are strung out along the road. A rider with her level of experience and strength could well stay away all the way to the finish, particularly if the chase group don't organize themselves quickly.

Kerbaol is caught as the descent eases off. Behind, the second and third groups on the road come together - there's a lot of power in this group now and if the leaders begin to look at one another, the red jersey and company may be able to catch them. The gap is currently 17 seconds.

Anna van der Breggen (Team SD Worx-ProTime) is the next rider to launch an attack, and she quickly opens up a gap. Demi Vollering gives chase at the front of the lead group.

Cedrine Kerbaol breaks away from the lead group with her trademark bravery on the descent. The red jersey is now 19 seconds behind the lead group, and there's a small group between the two that includes Pauline Ferrand-Prevot.

Demi Vollering heads an elite group of riders pulling away from the main peloton, and the red jersey isn't among them - but Marianne Vos is. Juliette Labous is there, as is Cedrine Kerbaol. It's a group of around 15 riders.

The red jersey is now in the third group on the road.

Liane Lippert is the next Movistar rider to try an attack and Marlen Reusser is also poised for them. FDJ SUEZ assert themselves at the summit of the climb however, with Evita Muzic taking the QOM points. A few notable riders are dropped at the end of the climb, including Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and the red jersey, Femke Gerritse, though she's not far adrift as they crest the summit and she will hope to get back in contact on this descent.

The group are all together once again, as Cavellar's group is caught.

Mareille Meijering (Movistar) is the next to attack. There's 1.2km remaining on this climb.

An attempt to get away by Valentina Cavellar of Arkea-B&B Hotels is successful - she is shadowed by Evita Muzic (FDJ SUEZ) and a Movistar rider, and the three open a small gap. Erica Magnaldi (UAE Team ADQ) nows comes across to join the trio.

FDJ SUEZ are riding on the front of the group as they move up the climb, and they're setting a high pace that's taking no prisoners - riders are beginning to drop from the back of the bunch, with 3.5km of climbing still to go.

EF Education-Oatly also noticeable near the front - will Cedrine Kerbaol go for a trademark attack on the descent that follows the climb?

Puerto el Buste is a category 3 ascent, 5 kilometers in length and with an average gradient of 5.4%.

There's a battle for position in the bunch as they arrive at the foot of the climb, with Marianne Vos prominent at the front of the peloton.