“I never thought that I would ride like this ever” - Tadej Pogacar reaches new heights even he never imagined as Vuelta is blown apart on Stage 4

Tadej Pogacar admitted he had never imagined reaching his current level after effectively blowing the 2026 Vuelta a Espana apart with a devastating long-range attack in Andorra.

The Slovenian attacked with around 50 kilometres remaining on stage 4 and finished the day 3:21 clear of Primoz Roglic in the general classification, with Enric Mas at 3:32 and every other contender even further behind.

For all Pogacar has already achieved, his own assessment afterwards underlined just how exceptional the performance felt even from the saddle. “I never thought that I would ride like this ever,” he said in his post-stage flash interview.

Andorra carries particular significance for Pogacar, who took his first professional victory in the country in 2019. “I have such beautiful memories of Andorra. [My first win here] is one of my favourite moments of my career.”

The attack had not been part of a pre-planned attempt to put minutes into the rest of the field. Decathlon CMA CGM Team had driven the race hard throughout the opening half of the 104.8-kilometre stage, with the pressure intensifying again on the Collada de Beixalis. Jay Vine briefly moved to the front for UAE Team Emirates – XRG before Pogacar found himself facing a large group of GC contenders with increasingly limited support around him.

“I didn't have to do that, but the pace was super high, already on the first climb,” Pogacar explained. “The second climb we were basically going all out from the bottom and when Jay let me pass on the wheel of Decathlon I knew, okay, I don't want to be isolated against all the GC riders, because they would all play against me.”

Rather than remain exposed in the group, Pogacar attacked. “I tried with an attack on the climb, and just hoped I could survive to the finish. I saw that I could open a gap and I did it. It was pretty tough, but a beautiful day out there.”

Felix Gall briefly followed the initial acceleration before Pogacar rode clear alone. By the end of the Coll d'Ordino, his advantage over the strongest chase had already grown to around three minutes, turning what had been the first serious mountain test of the Vuelta into a decisive day for the general classification.

Pogacar began the stage only 26 seconds ahead of Roglic. He ended it 3:21 clear of the four-time Vuelta winner, with the scale of the advantage immediately changing how the Slovenian viewed the days ahead.

“Any gap is good, but now I can be calm and confident for the next day,” Pogacar said. “We just keep going day by day after this, because it will be a bit less stressful for sure.”

With 17 stages still remaining, Pogacar has already created an advantage large enough to leave the race for red effectively settled barring an accident, illness or another exceptional circumstance. The fight behind him is now separated by seconds rather than minutes, with Roglic, Mas, Sepp Kuss, Oscar Onley, Richard Carapaz and Felix Gall all packed between 3:21 and 3:57 down.

Pogacar was not ready to treat the remaining 17 stages as a procession. “From now we do our best to control every day, but if it's uncontrollable, we'll have to see.”

His advantage nevertheless gives UAE Team Emirates – XRG a radically different race to manage from here. Pogacar arrived in Andorra with the first mountain verdict still to come; he left with more than three minutes in hand and a performance that, by his own admission, exceeded even what he once imagined possible.