Vuelta a Andalucia 2014 - Stage 4
The Vuelta a Andalucia went into its third day of racing on the open road with a trio of Alejandro Valverde stage wins already behind it. The wily Spaniard had already left his mark on the race, and looked like he was going to be hard to topple at the top of the general classification. The fourth day of racing was a 182.7 kilometre stage from Sanlucar La Mayor to Sevilla.
It was a flat finish but had a lumpy profile for the majority of the day, meaning a breakaway could succeed if luck went their way. Because of this a four man break went up the road, containing Haritz Orbe (Euskadi), Edward Theuns (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise), Martijn Tusveld (Rabobank Development) and Fabio Silvestre (Trek Factory Racing).
It was Movistar, the team of race leader Alejandro Valverde, who took up most responsibility for reeling in the break, and this was completed with around seven kilometres to go when the last man, Theuns, was brought back. It was then that Team Sky went to the front to try and lead out their man Edvald Boasson Hagen for the sprint finish.
Wiggins, Kiryienka and Kennaugh all did good turns on the front, and were unflustered when a crash split the peloton with around 3 kilometres to go, leaving just fourty men to try and contest the bunch sprint. Despite Sky's best efforts it was a chaotic burst for the line, with Boasson Hagen being joined by the likes of Gerald Ciolek and Moreno Hofland.
It was the youngster on the Wanty team Roy Jans who actually punched the air in victory, but the race officials were uncertain as to who had won the stage, and consulted a photo finish, where they found that 2013 Milan-San Remo winner Gerald Ciolek had actually edged out Jans. Ciolek was therefore called from his team bus down to the podium, where he was announced as only the second different stage winner of the race.
Valverde maintained his twenty second lead ahead of Richie Porte, and his twenty two seconds ahead of Luis Leon Sanchez (Caja Rural). He has just one day remaining to try and protect his lead.