Van der Breggen does it again as SD Worx leader wins stage 4 at La Vuelta Femenina with a sensational solo

La Vuelta Femenina had been a Dutch celebration so far. The team time trial went to Lidl Trek, putting Ellen van Dijk in the leader’s jersey. In the following sprint stages, it was Marianne Vos and Femke Gerritse who came out on top. The 23-year-old SD Worx Protime rider claimed her first WorldTour win and took over the red jersey heading into stage four.

Defending that jersey would be a real test, as stage four featured the first significant climbing. The Alto del Moncayo came midway through the day, but the real decider was expected to be the Puerto de El Buste, a climb cresting just 13 kilometers from the finish. While not the toughest of ascents, it raised the question: would the GC riders already make a move? The peloton set off from Pedrola toward Borja for a 111-kilometer challenge that promised answers.

It took a while before any break could form. Multiple riders gave it a go, including Aniek van Alphen. The Fenix Deceuninck rider, who had a dramatic crash in stage three, was back in the mix and tried to get in the break on Wednesday. But she couldn’t make it stick, and the entire bunch hit the slopes of the Alto del Moncayo together. Several riders tried to split things up, but no one managed to get away. At the summit, it was Justine Ghekiere of AG Insurance Soudal who grabbed the mountain points.

The Belgian had made the QOM jersey her goal and so far everything is going according to plan. She took over the lead in the mountains classification from Ana Santesteban. That left the final climb as the next key moment, but first there was an intermediate sprint on the menu. As expected, it turned into a showdown between Femke Gerritse and Marianne Vos, though Demi Vollering joined the party as well. A textbook lead-out from SD Worx Protime delivered the red jersey holder to the line first. Vollering came second, grabbing four bonus seconds in the process.

At the base of the final climb, it was FDJ SUEZ who took over from SD Worx Protime and lifted the pace. A few early attacks were quickly neutralized. Cat Ferguson moved to the front, working for Liane Lippert, who launched a move in the final kilometer of the climb. That attack was also shut down by FDJ, but it was enough to force a split in the group of favorites. Race leader Femke Gerritse was among those dropped and had to chase, while Marianne Vos was still holding strong near the front.

Over the top, Demi Vollering tried to break clear, but the timing wasn’t quite right. A few kilometers into the descent, it was Cédrine Kerbaol who made her move. The EF Education Oatly rider, who finished fourth in Liège–Bastogne–Liège and won a stage at the Tour de France Femmes last year with her fearless descending, was too dangerous to let go. Vollering reeled her in herself. Then Anna van der Breggen, always the tactician, picked her moment perfectly and carved out a gap on the downhill.

The SD Worx Protime leader opened up a small lead, but was being chased by Evita Muzic. Meanwhile, Gerritse had fought her way back into the chase group, giving the Dutch squad multiple cards to play in the finale. The gap wasn’t huge, but the twisty roads favored a solo move. Van der Breggen extended her lead and crossed the line alone to claim her first win since returning to racing.