Volta a Catalunya 2025 route
2025 Volta a Catalunya contenders
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2025 - Everything you need to know
Race situation
The two big favourites battled it out yet again with Primož Roglič this time bettering Juan Ayuso in the sprint to the line.
Hello and welcome to CyclingNews' live report of stage four at the Volta a Catalunya 2025.
Today's stage covers 188.7km starting in Sant Vicenç de Castellet and finishing with a summit finish on Montserrat Mil·lenari. They start just below the final mountain and do a big loop before coming back and taking on the 9km test with average gradients of 6.2% and a max of 13%. The weather is very pleasant today with sunshine, patches of cloud and very little wind.
Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and others give their reaction on what was a "crazy" finale to stage three, yesterday...
>>> Egan Bernal calls Volta a Catalunya stage 'crazy' as sprint decides major climbing stage
New race leader, Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) praises Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) after the multiple Vuelta champion sprinted fairly with the Catalan star in yesterday's finale...
And to today's stage, it is a historic return to the Montserrat climb after three decades away...
Bahrain Victorious lose two riders in as many days as crashes marred their stage yesterday. Rainer Kepplinger left during yesterday's stage whereas Finlay Pickering managed to finished but has abandoned this morning with both suffering from elbow injuries.
#VoltaCatalunya104 🏥 We're down to 5 riders at @VoltaCatalunya after @KepplingerRai crashed out yesterday, and @Fin_Pickering, who also sustained an elbow injury in another crash, is unable to start today stage 4.#RideAsOne #VoltaCatalunya 📸 @SprintCycling pic.twitter.com/AsZidNiOerMarch 27, 2025
The riders are currently signing on for this fourth stage of the race with just over five minutes until the neutral start in Sant Vicenç de Castellet.
🇪🇸 #VoltaCatalunya104Race ready 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/fSXKsXwxv3March 27, 2025
Neutralised start
The riders have started the 4.4km neutral zone.
Shortly after the start there is a short sharp climb with gradients hitting around 7%, a perfect launchpad for the early break. However, after just over 11km of riding, there is the first intermediate sprint of the day in Manresa with the usual 3, 2 and 1 point(s) and bonus second(s) available, will the peloton be interested at all?
Joining Finlay Pickering (Bahrain Victorious) on the DNS list are:
Dries De Pooter (Intermarche-Wanty)
Quinten Hermans (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Gal Glivar (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
Stanisław Aniołkowski (Cofidis)
There's a lot of illness going around the bunch at the moment. Hopefully all recover soon.
188.7km to go
Racing is underway with 151 riders starting stage four of the Volta a Catalunya 2025.
Attack!
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek)
The Eritrean is usually the rider on the front of the peloton working for his leader, but today he's getting his chance.
But no sooner has he attacked but Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier is dragged back by the peloton.
With just over 5km to the intermediate sprint, five riders have a small gap on the peloton.
The peloton drag the five man break back but there are splits over the top of the little kicker in the opening stages. The climb has stretched the bunch out and the elastic is snapping on the descent.
Just over 2km to the intermediate sprint in Manresa.
180km to go
There is still no break. The bonus seconds at this intermediate sprint could be up for grabs for the GC riders.
There are multiple groups off the back. Still waiting to see if any riders involved in the GC fight have been caught out.
Intermediate sprint (Manresa)
1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 3pts 3"
2. Axel Laurance (FRA) Ineos Grenadiers 2pts 2"
3. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates-XRG 1pt 1"
That intermediate sprint win sees Primož Roglič move to just four seconds behind Juan Ayuso. The fight is very much on.
There are eight riders trying to force a gap on the peloton and form the break of the day.
Attack!
Lennard Kämna (Lidl-Trek)
Geoffrey Bouchard (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
Frank van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL)
Embret Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)
Jesús Herrada (Cofidis)
José Félix Parra (Kern Pharma)
Diego Uriarte (Kern Pharma)
Four riders are chasing the eight leaders as they try to bridge:
Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Brieuc Rolland (Groupama-FDJ)
Lorenzo Germani (Groupama-FDJ)
Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos-Burpellet-BH)
They are 15" behind the leaders with the peloton a further 15" behind them.
170km to go
This is a crazy start to the race as the riders are on the first major climb of the day. And, in true Spanish style, it is uncategorised despite being rather long with gradients hitting well over 7%.
The chasers are closing in on the leaders as the gap dips inside 15" but the gap to the peloton has stretched to 45". Could this large group get away?
The two breakaway groups come together to form a break of 12 riders. However, they only have 45" on the peloton.
With Embret Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkea-B&B Hotels) being the best placed at 2'51", this group should be allowed some leeway. And this may be happening as the gap goes out to 50" between the break and the peloton.
The gap finally goes out to over a minute between the 12 leaders and the chasing pack.
Abandon
Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
He becomes the third Alpecin-Deceuninck rider to abandon TODAY alone. Hopefully Groves, Hermans and Glivar recover again soon.
Abandon
Bart Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike)
The list continues to grow. The Dutchman crashed yesterday and must have struggled in these intense opening 40km.
150km to go
The peloton are not allowing the break a lot of room at all with the gap sat at 1'15".
After the three abandons from Alpecin-Deceuninck today and the one from Stan Van Tricht yesterday, they are left with just three riders. Tibor Del Grosso, Edward Planckaert and Jimmy Janssens. A disappointing race for the Belgian squad.
After an hour of racing the average speed is 41.8kph. A brisk start considering the amount of climbing.
Reminder of the break:
Kämna (Lidl-Trek)
Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Fagúndez (Burgos-Burpellet-BH)
Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Bouchard (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Rolland (Groupama-FDJ)
Germani (Groupama-FDJ)
Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
Van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL)
Parra (Kern Pharma)
Uriarte (Kern Pharma)
Herrada (Cofidis)
They have a gap of a minute and a half on the peloton.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG lead the peloton for race leader, Juan Ayuso. But they are being shadowed by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe who are looking after second overall, Primož Roglič.
Under 10km to the next intermediate sprint, which is situated in Torà. This should belong to the break but their lead is still only just under a minute and a half. UAE Team Emirates-XRG are clearly keeping the pace high in the bunch.
The gap to the break has extended to 1'40". Maybe the peloton have finally decided to let the break go.
Perhaps UAE Team Emirates-XRG were trying to bring the break back to go for bonus seconds and try to reinstate the six seconds between Juan Ayuso and Primož Roglič after it dropped to four seconds at the last intermediate sprint.
Bike change
Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike)
He is quickly back in the convoy and should return to the peloton soon as the gap now extends to over two minutes up to the break.
Intermediate sprint (Torà)
1. Diego Uriarte (ESP) Kern Pharma 3pts 3"
2. Frank van den Broek (NED) Picnic-PostNL 2pts 2"
3. Johannes Staune-Mittet (NOR) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale 1pt 1"
There's now over 55km before the first categorised climb of the day, the 5km long Turó del Puig which has an average gradient of 5.6% and a max of 12% with 5, 3 2 and 1 point(s) available.
The gap has extended to over two and a half minutes. The break has finally been allowed to go.
The break have around three minutes on the peloton now. This mans that Norwegian rider Embret Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkea-B&B Hotels) is the virtual race leader.
110km to go
The gap is reducing again. After going out to three minutes it has tumbled to two and a half minutes again with Embret Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkea-B&B Hotels) no longer the virtual leader on the road.
Mechanical in break
Lorenzo Germani (Groupama-FDJ)
He is being assisted by his team car and should be back in the break again soon.
The peloton has dramatically upped the pace and the gap is reducing fast. The gap is now at 2'20" and is coming down.
100km to go
The gap has dropped to two and a half minutes. After two hours of racing the average speed is 42.2kph.
The last time the finishing climb of Montserrat featured in the Volta a Catalunya was in 2021 when it wasn't a finish but it was en route to Manresa. The stage was won by Lennard Kämna (Lidl-Trek), who is in the breakaway today.
Bike change in break
Embret Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
The Norwegian rider had to stop and swap bikes due to a mechanical issue. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Germani (Groupama-FDJ) did not need to stop to rectify his mechanical issue.
Abandon
Welay Hagos Berhe (Jayco-AlUla)
The climber from Ethiopia has stepped off his bike.
The riders are on another uncategorised climb that, in any other race would be a category three climb at the very least.
The peloton has eased up again and the time gap is back over three minutes again meaning that Embret Svestad-Bårdseng is, once again, the virtual race leader.
The riders now begin a long descent to the base of the, believe it or not after 1400+ metres of climbing, first categorised climb of the day, the Turó del Puig. 5km at an average of 5.6% and maxing out at 12%. 5, 3, 2 and 1 point(s) available.
80km to go
The gap is continuing to expand with the breakaway now almost three and a half minutes.
Just 5km before the riders start the first climb of the day, the Turó del Puig.
70km to go
As the riders start the foothills before the official start of the Turó del Puig, the gap remains at three and half minutes with UAE Team Emirates-XRG leading the peloton and looking after race leader, Juan Ayuso.
The riders have started the Turó del Puig.
Attack in break!
Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
Staune-Mittet and Steinhauser have 15" on the rest of the break as they near the top of the Turó del Puig.
The leading duo continue to extend their advantage to 30" on the 10 chasers with three minutes back to the bunch.
Abandon
Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost)
He has been near the back of the peloton for the majority of this race and looked to be suffering, so not too surprising.
60km to go
Just under three and a half minutes between the leaders and the peloton which is led by UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Ineos Grenadiers.
After three hours of racing the average speed is 43kph.
KoM (Turó del Puig)
1. Georg Steinhauser (GER) EF Education-EasyPost 5pts
2. Johannes Staune-Mittet (NOR) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale 3pts
3. José Félix Parra (ESP) Kern Pharma 2pts
4. Jesús Herrada (ESP) Cofidis 1pt
Splits in the peloton on this rapid descent. Lots of groups on the road after the technical terrain and high pace with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Ineos Grenadiers.
50km to go
Steinhauser and Staune-Mittet now have 45" on the chasers and 3'15" over the peloton.
The leaders have just gone over another uncategorised climb as they descend to another uncategorised hill then it is a dive down to the start of the climb up Montserrat.
Abandon
Valentin Paret-Peintre (Soudal-QuickStep)
Yet another rider on the list of abandons today.
40km to go
Steinhauser and Staune-Mittet have 50" on the chasing group of 10 and 2'52" on the peloton.
30km to go
The leading duo have 45" on the chasing 10 riders and are 2'27" on the peloton as they start the final uncategorised climb of the day before descending to the start of the final climb.
Parra (Kern Pharma), Van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL), Rolland (Groupama-FDJ) and Bouchard (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) have broken away from the other chasers as they try and close the gap to Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost) and Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) out front. But, they're 40" down.
Caught by peloton
Duego Uriarte (Kern Pharma)
Won't be long before a few others are dragged back as well.
20km to go
Staune-Mittet and Steinhauser have just over two minutes on the rapid peloton.
Soudal-QuickStep getting involved in the chase back in the peloton with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Ineos Grenadiers and the gap has dipped under two minutes.
Caught by peloton
Herrada (Cofidis)
Fagundez (Burgos-Burpellet-BH)
Germani (Groupama-FDJ)
Caught by peloton
Kämna (Lidl-Trek)
Svestad-Bårdseng (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
Bizarrely, Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos-Burpellet-BH) has been awarded the most combative rider of the day despite not doing anything aside from getting into the day's breakaway.
10km to go
Leaders:
Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Chasers +40":
Brieuc Rolland (Groupama-FDJ)
Geoffrey Bouchard (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale)
Frank van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL)
José Félix Parra (Kern Pharma)
Peloton +1'36"
Onto the final climb they go! The Montserrat Mil·lenari which is 9km with an average gradient of 6.2% with a maximum kick of 13%.
Attack in break
Georg Steinhauser (EF Education-EasyPost)
The German breakaway specialist has distanced Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale). He has just under a minute on the peloton.
Caught by the breakaway
Parra (Kern Pharma), Rolland (Groupama-FDJ), Bouchard (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) and Van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL).
James Knox (Soudal-QuickStep) was leading the peloton but now Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) leading the way with 6km to go as the group is being whittled down.
5km to go
Steinhauser has 37" on the peloton now as Staune-Mittet is caught.
Steinhauser looks like he is starting to really hurt as his time gap is being destroyed as Soler has taken the gap down to 24" with 4km to go.
Steinhauser still has the steepest part of the climb to come and the peloton are now within 20".
Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) looking to be in trouble at the back of what is left of the peloton.
Soler is done on the front and Adam Yates takes over the pacing for his UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader, Juan Ayuso, who is in second wheel followed by Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep) and Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
Dropped
Ben O'Connor (Jayco-AlUla)
Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers)
Not good for those two GC riders.
Attack!
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep)
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) is coming across as Landa goes backwards. Steinhauser has been caught and dropped. 2km to go.
Juan Ayuso leads the way with Primož Roglič now onto the race leader's wheel. He looked so smooth riding across to the Spaniard.
Mikel Landa and Enric Mas are coming back to Primož Roglič and Juan Ayuso.
Primož Roglič ups the pace and distances Landa and Mas. Ayuso still with the Slovenian.
Flamme Rouge
Roglič and Ayuso are working together as Mas and Landa have been caught by Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) with Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto), Felix Gall (Decathlon-AG2R) and Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).
Into the final 500 metres and the chasers are coming back to Roglič and Ayuso and they make the catch!
Attack!
Primož Roglič
Juan Ayuso follows but Van Eetvelt is pursuing in the chasing group.
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) wins stage four of the Volta a Catalunya 2025 on the line! An exact opposite of yesterday.
Juan Ayuso and Primož Roglič are now level on time in the general classification.
Top 10
1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 4:24'08"
2. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates-XRG S.T.
3. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar +3"
4. Lenny Martinez (FRA) Bahrain Victorious
5. Mikel Landa (ESP) Soudal-QuickStep
6. Felix Gall (AUT) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale
7. Lennnert Van Eetvelt (BEL) Lotto all same time
8. Matthew Riccitello (USA) Israel-Premier Tech +6"
9. Juan Pedro López (ESP) Lidl-Trek +21"
10. Giulio Pellizzari (ITA) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe +26"
GC after stage four
1. Primož Roglič (SLO) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 18:54'50"
2. Juan Ayuso (ESP) UAE Team Emirates-XRG S.T.
3. Enric Mas (ESP) Movistar +20"
4. Mikel Landa (ESP) Soudal-QuickStep +21"
5. Lenny Martinez (FRA) Bahrain Victorious +27"
6. Lennert Van Eetvelt (BEL) Lotto S.T.
7. Matthew Riccitello (USA) Israel-Premier Tech +45"
8. Harold Martín López (ECU) XDS-Astana +55"
9. William Junior Lecerf (BEL) Soudal-QuickStep +58"
10. Laurens De Plus (BEL) Ineos Grenadiers S.T.
Have a read of our post race report from today's fantastic stage by clicking the link below...
Tomorrow's stage is a day that should suit the remaining fast men as they cover 172km from Paüls to Amposta. The early climb of the Coll de La Font could cause some problems but it tops out with over 140km to go, so everyone should be able to get back in again.
