The 2025 Vuelta a Espana continued Tuesday with stage 4 – a 206.7-kilometer quest from Susa, in northwestern Italy, to Voiron in southern France. The Vuelta a Espana race organizer had chosen a combination of mountain and downhill terrain to transport the riders closer to Spanish soil.

It was expected some riders might attempt to use the mountain terrain of the first part of the stage for an early breakaway, while the sprinter teams would possibly target a sprinter finale, if they could keep their sprinters onboard on the two early Category 2 climbs. Favorites to take the stage victory included Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Ben Turner (Ineos-Grenadiers-TotalEnergies), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), and Orluis Aular (Movistar Team).

Jonas Vingegaard had again showed great initiative in yesterday’s stage finish and maintained the general classification lead and the red race leader jersey in today’s stage.

The start list of Vuelta a Espana 2025 featured popular riders such as Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), Ben O’Connor (Jayco-Alula), Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R), Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers-TotalEnergies), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Egan Bernal (Ineos-Grenadiers).

The fourth and final stage start of the history-making Vuelta a Espana start on Italian soil took place in the town of Susa and stage 4 got off to a fast start. A quintet broke away from the peloton in the early kilometers and managed to form a viable lead. The group featured Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-QuickStep), Joel Nicolau (Caja Rural Seguros RGA), Kamiel Bonneu (Intermarche-Wanty), Mario Aparicio (Burgos Burpellet BH), and EF Education-EasyPost’s Sean Quinn, who had admirably found energy for an additional breakaway effort following yesterday’s frontline excursion.

The front quintet conquered the only Category 3 climb of the stage and continued their joint effort on Col de Montgenevre, which was the first of two Category 2 climbs. While crossing the Alps, the riders left Italy and entered France. The breakaway optimists had an advantage of 03:30 minutes after fifty kilometers of racing.

Lidl-Trek was leading the chase effort in the front part of the main peloton in protection and support of its sprinter Mads Pedersen. The advantage of the front quintet was gradually reduced in the following kilometers.

As the riders approached the final one hundred kilometers of today’s stage 4 of Vuelta a Espana 2025, the advantage of the breakaway group had been reduced to 01:45 minutes. Riders from Alpecin-Deceuninck had joined the chase effort.

The riders in the Vuelta race continued through scenic downhill mountain terrain and the advantage of the breakaway artists had been reduced to just 24 seconds with ninety-five fast and tricky kilometers of the stage remaining. The breakaway compatriots got reeled in five kilometers later.

Sinuhe Fernandez launched a counterattack for Team Burgos Burpellet BH in the following kilometers. The Spanish rider formed a gap of forty seconds, but seventy-five fast kilometers remained, and he was solo in front.

Fernandez got caught by the chasing peloton with 47 kilometers left of the stage.

The peloton reached the intermediate sprint. The intermediate sprint was won by Mads Pedersen ahead of Ethan Vernon and Jake Stewart. Happy with the arrival on French home soil, Bruno Armirail launched a solo attack shortly after the sprint and formed a gap of twenty seconds while the Lidl-Trek team controlled the chase effort.

Armirail continued to increase his advantage and had a lead of 41 seconds with twenty kilometers to the finish line. The race approached the epicenter of Chartreuse liqueur, developed by monks and known for its vibrant green color and its complex flavor of more than 130 types of herbs and plants.

Armirail got caught by the chasing peloton with seventeen kilometers remaining. Riders from Lidl-Trek, Alpecin-Deceuninck, Visma-Lease a Bike and Bahrain-Victorious were leading the peloton and setting a fast pace as the peloton approached the finish line.

A crash occurred in the peloton with ten kilometers remaining as the road got narrower. The crash brought down Jay Vine and a few other riders. Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) and others got back on their bikes, but George Bennett appeared more injured.

Five kilometers remained and the speed in the peloton was intense. General classification-focused teams were protecting the interests of their team captains, while the sprinter teams were setting up their sprinters for the anticipated mass sprint finish.

Alpecin-Deceuninck, Ineos-Grenadiers and other teams were in front with two kilometers remaining. Mads Pedersen lost his lead-out men in a roundabout.

Jasper Philipsen launched his sprint as did Ben Turner and other sprinters. Great Britain’s Ben Turner proved the fastest rider in the sprint and has won stage 4 for Ineos-Grenadiers-TotalEnergies. Turner is born in Doncaster, home of Hybrid Air Vehicles and their future production facilities for Airlander hybrid airships. Jasper Philipsen finished second, while Edward Planckaert completed the stage podium.

“The team really believed in me, and I’ll do anything to race these races,” stage winner Ben Turner explained to Roadcycling.com shortly after the stage. “Thank you to the boys and they have been amazing all of them. I had the best guys around me all day and I really believed in what I could do in this stage finish and wining is just amazing,” Turner added.

David Gaudu is the new general classification leader. The Groupama-FDJ rider will wear the red race leader jersey in tomorrow’s team time trial. Jonas Vingegaard is now in second place in the GC, though in the same time as the French race leader. Giulio Ciccone is third, Egan Bernal fourth, while Thomas Pidcock completes the GC top five.

Wednesday’s stage 5 of Vuelta a Espana 2025 will be contested on Spanish tarmac in Figueras. The stage will be a team time trial.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for complete coverage from the 2025 Vuelta a Espana.