Belgian cyclist Lotte Kopecky (30) claimed victory in the fourth stage of the women’s Vuelta a España on Wednesday in Antas de Ulla, seizing the red leader’s jersey from Germany’s Franziska Koch.
The winner of the recent Milan-San Remo sprinted to triumph in Galicia (northwest Spain), beating her Dutch SD Worx teammate Anna van der Breggen and Italy’s Letizia Paternoster. Koch, who finished fifth in the stage, lost the overall lead due to time bonuses and now trails by six seconds.
Kopecky, the reigning world road champion in 2023 and 2024, had placed second in the opening stage last Sunday and again in the third stage on Tuesday. She boasts one of the most decorated palmares in international women’s cycling, with stage wins in all three Grand Tours and having worn the yellow jersey of the Tour de France leader for six days in 2024.
On Thursday, sprinters will have one last chance to shine in this Vuelta with a 120-kilometer route between León and Astorga, before the final two mountain stages. The race culminates Saturday with the ascent of the fearsome Angliru, famous for gradients exceeding 20%.
**Stage 4 Classification**
1. Lotte Kopecky (BEL/DLT) 115.6 km in 3h 07:11 (avg 37.1 km/h)
2. Anna van der Breggen (NED/DLT) s.t.
3. Letizia Paternoster (ITA/MTS) s.t.
4. Shari Bossuyt (BEL/AGS) s.t.
5. Franziska Koch (GER/FDJ-SUEZ) s.t.
6. Sarah Van Dam (CAN/TVL) s.t.
7. Liane Lippert (GER/MOV) s.t.
8. Arlenis Sierra (CUB/MOV) s.t.
9. Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (POL/CSR) s.t.
10. Karlijn Swinkels (NED/ALE) s.t.
**General Classification**
1. Lotte Kopecky (BEL/DLT) 12h 10:46
2. Franziska Koch (GER/FDJ-SUEZ) +6s
3. Cédrine Kerbaol (FRA/EFC) +12s
4. Anna van der Breggen (NED/DLT) +20s
5. Sarah Van Dam (CAN/TVL) +22s
6. Évita Muzic (FRA/FDJ-SUEZ) +22s
7. Loes Adegeest (NED/TFS) +24s
8. Liane Lippert (GER/MOV) +26s
9. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA/TVL) +26s
10. Paula Blasi (ESP/ALE) +26s
