While Tadej Pogačar dominating the first high mountain stage of this year's Vuelta a España was almost a certainty, what was far from guaranteed was how four-time race winner and Slovenian compatriot Primož Roglič was going to perform, having been hit by a driver in training just three weeks before the first stage.
But after 104km of brutal up-and-down racing on stage 4, featuring three first-category climbs in Andorra, Roglič dispelled much of the doubts surrounding his shape, finishing well down on Pogačar, yes, but proving he is more than ready for the podium battle.
