5 Vuelta a Espana favourites who lost significant time on Pico Villuercas - Are they ruled out from overall victory?

Stage 4 of this past Tuesday's Vuelta a España 2024 has turned out to be a total success for the race organizers. Without hesitation, it was decided that the first high mountain day of the last grand tour of the year would be very early, and as a result has already cleared many doubts about which riders have the legs to compete for the general classification, and on the other hand those who came into the race without the best form - or suffered in the immense heat.

We have taken a look at these names, in collaboration with CiclismoAlDia. For example, Primoz Roglic has confirmed his status as favourite after he took the red jersey with the stage victory on the Pico Villuercas. And, behind, Joao Almeida, Enric Mas and Mikel Landa have also presented their firm candidacy to fight for the overall until the end of La Vuelta. It was only the first mountain stage but they have won time on all other expected victory candidates. 

The first days of the race were marked by the vicious heat, almost touching the 40's, and it is possible also that a few riders simply could not adapt perfectly. However, regardless of the reason, a few riders suffered on the climb to Pico Villuercas and questions are put on their chances of winning the race.

The clearest name on the list. The EF Education-EasyPost leader set himself the goal of going for the overall victory in an edition conducive to it, only with Primoz Roglic as the big star of the lineup, and also arriving after a crash that left him out of the Tour de France. The Ecuadorian also competed in the Grande Boucle, and did so as one of the most combative riders in the race - winning also a stage and the KOM jersey. He has, since leaving INEOS Grenadiers, never contested for a top result in a Grand Tour. The same may happen even though it is his goal here. But he did give lack of water as a reason for his underperforming, which saw him lose 1:29 minutes to the front group.

18th overall after the Pico Villuercas, Carlos Rodríguez has not matched the expectations put on him in the first summit finish of the race. In La Vuelta he has not started the race with the same form as in the Tour. "El León de Almuñécar" lost 51 seconds and it seems that the comeback is very difficult, taking into consideration also that this is his second Grand Tour of the season and five out of the eight INEOS riders have already crashed on the opening days. Thymen Arensman also suffered a big hit on the day losing 2:35 minutes, a very bad day for the British team. 

Adam Yates and João Almeida were proclaimed to be the co-leaders of UAE Team Emirates for the Vuelta. The team rode their own race on the final climb, with all riders being givn the freedom on the very steep ascent. Adam Yates was only the fifth rider of the team to cross the line, not supported by the likes of Pavel Sivakov, Isaac del Toro and Brandon McNulty who supposedly are here as support riders. His Portuguese teammate is in much better shape, and with Yates 26th, losing 1:29 minutes to Primoz Roglic on the road, his candidacy to fight for the overall of the Vuelta a España 2024 is now in a very tough position.

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe has had a good day, with Primoz Roglic confirming good form, taking the stage win, race lead and putting time on several of his main rivals for the race. However not everyone in the team experienced a good final climb; Daniel Martínez was certainly one of the defeated riders and his GC ambitions may have faded completely after this day. Aleksandr Vlasov and Florian Lipowitz did not lose much time and so they remain cards for later in the race, but the Colombian shed 4:10 minutes. Perhaps, he did not give it his all after having been dropped early in the difficult section of the climb. After finishing second at the Giro d'Italia, it is certain that he won't do the same here.

Lastly Lidl-Trek also had a bad day. Mattias Skjelmose lost 43 seconds to the front group but it is not a dramatic loss. Giulio Ciccone came in without GC ambitions and so his time loss was not a surprise, but the Italian crossed the finish line together with Tao Hart who is perhaps the GC contender who lost the most time. 7:40 minutes lost on the first climb of the race effectively takes him out of GC contention completely.