Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) claimed his second stage victory in three days at the Volta a Catalunya to regain his spot at the top of the overall standings.
Valverde, also the winner of stage two, showed his sprinting prowess again by passing Team Sky’s Egan Bernal in a dramatic final straight to the mountainous 171km stage.
Bernal crossed the line in the same time, having pulled away from Nairo Quintana, who came in six seconds later for third in the mountaintop finish at La Molina.
“I knew he was a very fast rider here,” Valverde said of Bernal’s late challenge. “It was difficult for him to beat me but it is true that Egan is a terrific rider and he is proving that.”
Thomas De Gendt, who wore the leader’s jersey after winning the third stage on Wednesday, had earlier struggled on the La Molina climb and was left behind.
Valverde’s win puts him 19 seconds ahead of second-placed Bernal and 26 seconds clear of Quintana in the overall standings.
Volta a Catalunya continues on Friday with the fifth stage between Llivia and Vielha Val D’Aran. The race ends on Sunday.
https://youtu.be/hLnyx6hDZtY
Volta a Catalunya 2018 – stage 4 results (Llanars – La Molina):
| 1 | Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) | 4:25:54 |
| 2 | Egan Bernal (Team Sky) | ,, |
| 3 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) | +06” |
| 4 | Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) | +23” |
| 5 | Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) | +53” |
| 6 | Marc Soler (Movistar) | ,, |
| 7 | Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) | ,, |
| 8 | George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo) | +55” |
| 9 | Hugh Carthy (EF Education First-Drapac) | +59” |
| 10 | Daniel Martinez (EF Education First-Drapac) | +01’03” |
General classification after stage 4:
| 1 | Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) | 17:00:58 |
| 2 | Egan Bernal (Team Sky) | +19” |
| 3 | Nairo Quintana (Movistar) | +26” |
| 4 | Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) | +48” |
| 5 | Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) | +01’12” |
| 6 | Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) | +01’14” |
| 7 | Marc Soler (Movistar) | +01’18” |
| 8 | George Bennett (LottoNL-Jumbo) | +01’20” |
| 9 | Hugh Carthy (EF Education First-Drapac) | +01’24” |
| 10 | Steven Kruijswijk (LottoNL-Jumbo) | +01’28” |
