Tom Crabbe of Team Flanders - Baloise sprinted to a surprise victory on Stage 4 of the Vuelta a Andalucía in Pozoblanco, prevailing after a tense finale that briefly threatened Ivan Romeo’s grip on the yellow jersey.
The 166-kilometre stage from Montoro had been controlled for much of the afternoon by Movistar Team, who managed the early break and kept the general classification in check. But the calm fractured inside the final ten kilometres.
Wellens and Laporte test the leader
Tim Wellens ignited the decisive move, with Christophe Laporte and Marcin Budzinski quickly joining him. The trio opened a small but dangerous gap, hovering around five seconds with three kilometres to go.
Given Laporte started the day just 50 seconds down on GC and Wellens 54 seconds back, Movistar were forced into a full chase. Cofidis also contributed to the pursuit as the threat grew on the approach to the uphill drag into Pozoblanco.
The attackers were finally caught inside two kilometres, restoring order just in time for a reduced bunch sprint.
Visma lead, Crabbe delivers
Team Visma | Lease a Bike took control under the flamme rouge with four riders on the front. Axel Zingle launched the sprint, Søren Wærenskjold following the wheel, while Laporte moved up through the final metres.
But it was Crabbe who produced the decisive acceleration, timing his effort perfectly to take the stage win.
It marks a major result for Team Flanders - Baloise on a day that had looked destined for the more established uphill sprinters.
GC remains tight
Despite the late scare, Ivan Romeo survives another day in yellow. The Golden Kilometre earlier in the stage had already shuffled seconds among the contenders, and the aggressive finale underlined just how narrow the margins remain heading into the final stage.
Movistar passed the test, but they were made to work for it.
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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