Cycling
Vuelta a España 2026: Predictions ahead of Stage 4
The 2026 Vuelta a España arrives in Andorra on Tuesday for a gruelling mountain test in Stage 4, and William Hill News are here to preview how it might unfold.
Stage 4 brings a brutal, compact 104.8km loop out of and back into Andorra la Vella, taking in the Port d’Envalira, the Collada de Beixalis and the Coll d’Ordino before a shortened but venomous finale. After three days shaking out sprinters and rouleurs, this is where the general classification picture starts to sharpen.
Where the race stands
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates–XRG) took the red jersey in Monaco’s opening time trial and defended it through the first two stages, with Wout van Aert and Matthew Brennan sitting closest. Primož Roglič, the four-time champion, also lurks amongst the top ten. However, Stage 4 in the Andorran Pyrenees offers the most challenging test yet, and nobody can expect their time to survive it unscathed.
Prediction: Tadej Pogačar to win Stage 4
Nothing about this Vuelta suggests Pogačar treats mountain stages as anything other than opportunities. With bonus seconds on offer and a short, punchy route that suits his explosiveness over sustained climbing power, the Slovenian is the clear order-of-merit pick to extend his lead and pad the red jersey cushion in one move.
Outsider watch: Primož Roglič
Roglič has made no secret of targeting a fifth Vuelta title, and a stage this short plays to his ability to detonate on the steepest ramps.
The bigger picture
With the race barely out of France and a second high-altitude Andorran stage still to come, Stage 4 might not decide the Vuelta, but it will tell us plenty about who’s actually racing for red in Granada.
