photo credits @ VaC
Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) was the fastest in the final sprint in stage 4 of the Volta a Catalunya today. The British sprinter, who had already secured stage victories in the 2022 and 2025 editions of the Catalan race, managed to beat race leader Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) and fellow Briton Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36. 5 Pro Cycling), who, thanks to the time bonuses, move up to 2nd place in the general classification ahead of a grueling stage between La Seu d’Urgell and the mountain finish at La Molina/Coll de Pal.
After an intense start to the stage, in which Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) led the peloton to the day’s first intermediate sprint in Granollers to pick up time bonuses for the general classification, the situation settled down. The leader of the mountain’s classification, Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché), launched his fourth consecutive breakaway, joined after the climb to Parpers and the sprint by Koen Bouwman (Team Jayco Al Ula) and Samuel Fernández (Euskaltel-Burgos-BH), thus forming a breakaway of four riders. However, the first two were caught by the peloton after the mountain passes, leaving Samuel Fernández and Merhawi Kudus as the two riders who held on at the front of the race until 18 kilometers from the finish.
Teams with ambitions of winning the stage, such as Ineos Grenadiers, led by Dorian Godon, and NSN Cycling Team itself, always kept both breakaway riders under control, and once they had been caught, they were able to set up a bunch sprint. Following an intermediate sprint in San Joan de les Abadesses, where Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling) managed to hold his own against his rival Remco Evenepoel to claim the bonus, nothing could prevent a bunch sprint from deciding the winner.
Thanks to his speed, Vernon, overtook race leader Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tom Pidcock, who, thanks to the time bonuses from this position, is now second in the general classification, 13 seconds behind the Frenchman.
The big moment for the top climbers will be tomorrow, with the fifth stage, a 155.3-kilometer route starting in La Seu d’Urgell and finishing in La Molina/Coll de Pal.
The climbs of Colldarnat (1st category), Coll de Josa (2nd category), Coll de Fumanya (1st category) and Collada Sobirana (1st category), many of which are making their competitive debut, will set the stage for a special category finish that is considered one of the most demanding in Catalonia.
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