Lotte Kopecky wins stage 4 sprint and takes the Vuelta Femenina red jersey
CyclingWednesday, 06 May 2026 at 17:37
Lotte Kopecky has won stage four of the Vuelta Femenina. The Belgian SD Worx-Protime rider had twice finished second in this race and once been relegated. On day four, everything finally fell into place. SD Worx-Protime chased down a leading duo in the closing kilometres and their team leader delivered.
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On paper, stage four was best described as a classic transition stage. The 115.6-kilometre route from Monforte de Lemos to Antas de Ulla was hilly and took the peloton through Galicia for the last time. A reduced sprint seemed the most likely outcome — but in cycling, the breakaway always has a say.
The early skirmishing was for the mountains classification. Marine Allione and Annelies Nijssen rode clear towards the Alto de Oural, the day's first climb, where Allione crested first. Maëva Squiban attacked from the peloton in search of the mountains jersey and moved into the virtual lead in that classification, displacing Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio.
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A leading group of four, FDJ-SUEZ forced to chase
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After several attacks, a leading quartet took shape: Nijssen, Allione, and the joining Marta Jaskulska and Lauretta Hanson. The group was initially given room and built their advantage to more than three minutes. For Nijssen, that was significant — she began the day fewer than two minutes behind race leader Franziska Koch.
That placed the Lotto-Intermarché rider in the virtual red jersey, and with Jaskulska also within 2:22 of Koch in the overall standings, the leading teams had reason for concern. In the peloton, FDJ-SUEZ, Liv-AlUla-Jayco and SD Worx-Protime took up the chase — FDJ-SUEZ doing so in the service of Koch.
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Jaskulska and Hanson dream of victory
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As the second categorised climb approached — the Alto do Hospital, 4.1 kilometres at 6.6 per cent — the breakaway's lead began to fall. With around 40 kilometres to go, the gap had come down to just over two and a half minutes. With ten kilometres remaining, it was still one and a half minutes. Plenty to play with.
That was enough for Jaskulska to accelerate at the front. The Pole had given up on any thoughts of the race lead, but she and Hanson drove hard to stay clear of the peloton. At seven kilometres out, the two leaders still had over a minute in hand. There was still reason to dream.
It came down to the wire. Koch grabbed two bonus seconds at an intermediate sprint five kilometres from the finish, and then SD Worx-Protime went all-in for Kopecky. The lead was cut in half in a matter of minutes. With 2.5 kilometres to go, the duo was caught. An uphill sprint followed — and after two second places and one relegation, Kopecky finally got her win.
With the stage win, Kopecky also takes the red jersey. The Vuelta Femenina has a new leader with three stages to go.
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Results stage 4 Vuelta España Femenina 2026
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Latest Comments
- Enough of this b.s. already.Just tell the world all you suspicious people what would satisfy you that he is not doping.live real time urinating and testing?.Live real time blood draws 5 seconds after a race is over?.Fecal analysis.WTF will satisfy you?
Brucegel03-05-2026 - This suspicion could be laid to rest by what? What would make all doubters happy that Pogi is clean? Just tell the world all you Frenchmen et al what you want as protocol.You will never be satisfied.That is your level of mindless groundless suspicions.Brucegel03-05-2026
- Here is a novel idea......it's a road bike race, stick to smooth asphalt courses! Cobble is like mild off-road cross riding!!!!Germanrazor14-04-2026
- To lose a race like that on a mechanical problem in this day and age is unforgivable. Why aren't all riders using the same (interchangeable) gear? It is the job of the team manager to manage and reduce risk variables. The fact that he not only didn't pick up on the potential issue but actually ok'd it is just madness.fatehasfans13-04-2026
- Rider X, y and z? Could you update?yaNzKEWL21-03-2026
- Can anyone help me understand the thinking behind the two punishments? Are the commissaires saying you get thrown out of the race for a second inadvertent disposal of a bidon (even to the delight of fans) but that as long as you can afford it you can show off your phalangeal cuticles all day long on international TV? Aking for a friend.packfiller7112-03-2026
- It's a bit embarrassing that. Isn't the main sponsor supposed to keep them at 36.5 ?tomjacques03-03-2026
- They were close to cracking a very tired Tadej that wasn't fully focused on the TdF with a team of riders focused solely on cracking Tadej. And if they cracked him, he would have still won. Tadej won't be racing the giro this year. It'll be an even easier win for him.Veganpotter09-02-2026
- Nice!Bea22-01-2026
- Those events are mental rest for him. Fun, without expectations. *Sagan lost his abilities because he gained weight and got lazy. Pogi will likely retire before that has a chance at happening.Veganpotter14-12-2025
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