Primoz Roglic seizes control of red jersey at La Vuelta after impressive Stage 4 win ahead of Mads Pedersen

On the first uphill finish of La Vuelta 2022 it was business as usual for Primoz Roglic, the three-time defending champion, who won at a canter over Denmark’s Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and Spain’s Enric Mas (Movistar) to take over the red jersey in style from his Jumbo-Visma team-mate Edoardo Affini. The 10th Vuelta stage victory in Roglic’s career ended any lingering doubts about the 32-year-old Slovenian’s form and fitness following the crash that saw him pulled from July’s Tour de France after the second week.

Ad Even before the ramped finale in Laguardia at the conclusion of the lumpy 152.5km stage through the Basque Country, Roglic had laid down a marker by responding to an attack from world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) on the Puerto de Herrara to take three bonus seconds on the second categorised climb of the day inside the final 20km. Vuelta a EspañaLa Vuelta 2022: Six talking points from the Dutch ‘gran salida’ — Roglic soon in red?YESTERDAY AT 15:31 Stage 4 as it happened: Roglic back to his best in Spain La Vuelta 2022: standings and results A fast descent and frenetic approach to the finish saw the peloton whittled down to around 80 riders ahead of the short but sharp 800m rise to the line.

If it was the kind of finish that had Roglic’s name metaphorically written all over it, the Slovenian still had to deliver the goods. He did so with gusto, launching from the wheel of the impressive Pedersen to take the win by around six bike lengths.

“I’m super happy but it’s really just the beginning of La Vuelta,” Roglic said after his latest exploit in Spain. “As I say, it’s always better to have some seconds ahead than to be behind.