2026 Vuelta a España stage 4 preview | Pogacar vs. Andorra locals in cycling mecca

After three days of grueling racing, the real challenge begins in the Vuelta a España. A true monster stage awaits in Andorra. This cycling mecca is the hometown of many riders, and many will be eager to claim a victory on home soil. But will Tadej Pogacar give them a chance? IDL Pro Cycling takes a closer look !

Finally in Spain! Or, well, not quite. We may have crossed the French border, but just like last year, the peloton is making a stop in Andorra again. And racing in that tiny country naturally means: the Pyrenees. After a time trial and two challenging—though not exceptionally difficult—stages, the fourth stage is when the real work begins in an explosive mountain stage.

The start and finish are in Andorra la Vella. From Andorra’s capital, the route heads straight uphill, with an official climb of 23 kilometers but actually well over 25 kilometers. The peloton climbs to a height of 2,409 meters—the highest point of this Vuelta—at the Port de Envalira. It is a Category 1 climb that is particularly long but not extremely steep, averaging 4.9 percent.

A grueling descent follows, and it isn’t until 54 kilometers into the race that the riders return to Encamp, where the climb began. By then, we’re already past the halfway point of the 106-kilometer ride. This is immediately followed by a shorter but steep climb, the Collada de Beixalis. It’s only 6.5 kilometers long, but has an average gradient of 8.6 percent, with sections reaching up to 15 percent.

There isn’t a single meter of flat terrain on this stage. After the descent, there’s an intermediate sprint in Ordino, followed by the Coll d’Ordino, the penultimate climb. It’s 9.9 kilometers long, with an average gradient of 7 percent. The descent takes us back to Encamp and continues rapidly downhill, after which there is one more short, explosive climb: the Alto de la Comella is 3.8 kilometers long with an 8.6 percent gradient.

That’s a real two-stage climb. There’s a flat section right in the middle, but once it starts climbing, the gradient never drops below eight percent. The summit is five kilometers from the finish line, after which a challenging technical descent brings us back to Andorra la Vella for the finish.

Times
Start: 2:49 p.m CET
Finish: 5:30 p.m CET

The weather in the Pyrenees might be a bit unpredictable, but Andorra looks set to have perfect racing conditions. Temperatures will reach around 24 degrees, with a southwesterly wind that won't be a factor at all. Unlike in previous days, it will be dry in the tiny country.

Going into the race, Tadej Pogacar was considered the top favorite to win the overall title in Spain, and so far he’s fully lived up to expectations. The Slovenian is wearing the red jersey and seems to have a course tailor-made for him in Andorra: short, grueling, and explosive. For UAE teammate João Almeida, it’s mainly a matter of seeing if he has the legs for it, while Jay Vine was the best here just last year. Pablo Torres could also make a move from the breakaway.

Among the general classification favorites, we’re especially keeping an eye on someone like Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), who won’t be afraid to launch an attack when it suits him. Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) is perhaps the best climber after Pogacar, but he prefers uphill finishes with longer climbs. Oscar Onley (Netcompany INEOS), on the other hand, is relishing such a finish.

Of course, we’re also keeping an eye on Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), although his form is anyone’s guess following his crash during the lead-up to the Vuelta. Enric Mas (Movistar), Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM), and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) are also second-tier contenders.

If Pogacar doesn’t necessarily want to win in Andorra himself, the attackers might also get their chance on this tough mountain stage. We might even see some riders launch a strong attack and take over the red jersey. Think, for example, of Jørgen Nordhagen, Ben Tulett, and Andorra-based Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike), who already won in his hometown during the 2021 Tour. We might also see Mikel Landa and Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step) at the front.

Groupama-FDJ features riders such as Clément Berthet and Guillaume Martin, while Bahrain Victorious is counting on strong performances from Pello Bilbao, Santiago Buitrago, and the young Jakob Omrzel. Carlos Rodriguez (Netcompany INEOS) is also hoping to be in good form, while Pinarello–Q36.5 has Eddie Dunbar on its roster. And will Luke Tuckwell and Finn Fisher-Black be given the freedom they need at Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe?

Paul Double and Finlay Pickering (Jayco AlUla) will have the freedom to ride as they please. In addition to Carapaz, EF Education - EasyPost also has Markel Beloki and Georg Steinhauser. Tudor has no general classification ambitions and will push Will Barta and Marco Brenner to the front. XDS Astana is counting on Harold Tejada, Lorenzo Fortunato, Victor Langelotti, Darren van Bekkum, and Cristián Rodríguez.

Lotto-Intermarché will give the very young Jarno Widar complete freedom. Equipo Kern Pharma has four outstanding climbers in Iván Cobo, Ibon Ruiz, Urko Berrade, and Iván Ramiro Sosa, while Burgos Burpellet BH is counting on Mario Aparicio, José Manuel Diaz, and Jesús Herrada. NSN has two contenders in Jan Hirt and Alexey Lutsenko, while Alpecin-Premier Tech has Ramses Debruyne.

Top Favorite: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Dark horses: Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM), Oscar Onley (Netcompany INEOS), Sepp Kuss (Visma | Lease a Bike), and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
Long shots: Primož Roglič, Luke Tuckwell (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Enric Mas (Movistar), João Almeida, Pablo Torres, Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal Quick-Step), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Carlos Rodríguez (Netcompany INEOS), Paul Double (Jayco AlUla), Jarno Widar (Lotto-Intermarché), Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost), Harold Tejada, Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana), Ramses Debruyne (Alpecin-Premier Tech), and Alexey Lutsenko (NSN)