Three-time road world champion Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) continued her fine form at this year's Vuelta Femenina, sprinting to a second successive stage win on day four.
The Dutchwoman, who is yet to finish off the podium at the seven-day Spanish race, said the stage to Guadalajara was “really nervous”, with GC hopefuls attacking from 40km out.
“It was [about] trying to stay in front and trying to stay in control of the group,” Vos said post-race, “and I want to thank my team for doing that so well.”
“I think it was really nervous today. Of course, because of yesterday’s echelons and there was also some wind, I think every team was prepared for if something happened.”
The 133km-long stage through the central Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha brought the most challenging day of the race so far, clocking up over 1,500m of climbing. On the penultimate ascent, with 40km remaining, FDJ-Suez’s Marta Cavalli stirred up the peloton with a long-range effort, and the action never calmed down.
Attacks from Demi Vollering (SD Worx), Liane Lippert (Movistar), and a last-gasp dig from Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) followed, but no-one could stop the day coming down to a bunch sprint, which Vos duly won.
“There was a lot of wind, so that was probably not really in their favour," the Dutchwoman said of the attackers. "Then we [Jumbo-Visma] still had Amber Kraak and Riejanne Markus, so I still had a feeling we could do it. But, of course, when they go, you’re looking ahead and seeing if it will stay away.
“In the final, the attack of Reusser was really strong, and [Chloé] Dygert reacted to it.”
Vos, who earned two bonus seconds in an intermediate sprint earlier in the stage, extended her advantage in the overall standings by 12 seconds, and leads with 25 seconds over Canyon-Sram’s Dygert.
After going four months winless at the start of this year, Jumbo-Visma have now won three of the four stages contested at this year’s Vuelta Femenina, opening their account with day one’s team time trial in Torrevieja.
Friday’s fifth stage will bring the race's first category-one mountain test, the Puerto de Navafría, as the peloton heads north into Castilla-Leon. Two more hilly days will follow, before the red jersey winner is decided on the slopes of Lagos de Covadonga on Sunday.
