2019 Vuelta a España: Stage 4 Results

Fabio Jakobsen made himself a beautiful and memorable early birthday present, four days before turning 23, taking the victory in Stage 4 of the 2019 Vuelta a España in El Puig by the narrowest of margins, on what was the sprinters’ final opportunity on this opening week of the race. Put in a perfect position by his Deceuninck – Quick-Step teammates on the straight run to the line, Fabio kicked out with 200 meters to go, and despite a late surge of his opponents, he held on for his sixth victory of the season.

“It was a really tight finish and I just threw my bike to the line and closed my eyes. I found out that I had won only when I saw the guys from the team cheering. I am very happy, I really can’t put it into words. I came here to discover and learn, but I was confident I could pull it off and now I’m just savouring this victory”, Fabio said, beaming with happiness.

Just two riders decided to go in the break on stage 4, and despite a five-minute maximum advantage, they were an easy prey for the peloton, where several riders – including Tim “El Tractor” Declercq – worked together to keep the gap in check and bring the duo back inside the final 20 kilometers. It all pointed to a classic bunch sprint, but Rémi Cavagna had other plans and the Frenchman launched an attack six kilometers from the finish, putting the pressure on the other teams, helped also by the numerous roundabouts sprinkled along the route.

Cavagna came 1200 meters short of the biggest victory of his career, but his effort still paid dividends, the other teams’ sprint trains being derailed by the frantic chase. This worked in favour of Deceuninck – Quick-Step, who took command of the race under the flamme rouge with Zdenek Stybar. The Czech’s effort stretched out the field before Max Richeze emerged with 600 meters remaining – with Fabio Jakobsen tucked on his wheel – and gave another sensational lead-out to the young Dutchman, who dashed to victory ahead of Sam Bennett (Bora-hansgrohe) and netted Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s 27th stage win at the Vuelta a España.

“On Monday we hesitated a bit and at the end we were disappointed, but today we took the initiative and dominated the finale. Tim controlled the breakaway, Rémi showed again how strong he is, then Styby and Max provided a superb lead-out and proved again why they are some of the best in the business. I want to thank the entire Wolfpack, because without them this great victory wouldn’t have been possible.”

The fourth Dutch Champion in history to claim a stage at the Spanish Grand Tour, Fabio explained also the significance of this victory, which came just four days into his maiden Grand Tour: “It’s a sprinter’s dream to win in a Grand Tour, and for me, to take a stage while wearing the Dutch Champion jersey, is something unforgettable. I worked hard the entire year for this and today’s result gives me a lot of satisfaction. I am still young, have the entire future ahead of me, and I hope this victory will be the first in a long line of successes.”

Earlier in the stage, Steven Kruijswijk, one of the event’s leading contenders, was forced to pull out with a knee injury sustained in a crash in Saturday’s team time trial.

Kruijswijk’s team, Jumbo-Visma wrote in a statement that the rider “has abandoned the Vuelta. He’s suffering a sore knee due to the crash in the TTT and the pain has gotten worse.”

Nicolas Roche (Sunweb) finished comfortably in the bunch, thereby retaining his race lead.

The Vuelta a España continues on Wednesday with the 170.7km fifth stage from L’ Eliana to Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre and concludes in Madrid on Sept 15.

Stage 4 Brief Results:

1. Fabio Jakobsen (NED) Deceuninck – Quick-Step at 4h04’16”
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) BORA – hansgrohe s.t.
3. Fernando Gaviria (COL) UAE Team Emirates s.t.
4. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton – Scott s.t.
5. Marc Sarreau (FRA) Groupama – FDJ s.t.

General Classification After Stage 4:

1. Nicolas Roche (IRL) Team Sunweb at 13h55’30”
2. Nairo Quintana (COL) Movistar Team at 2”
3. Rigoberto Urán (COL) EF Education First at 8”
4. Mikel Nieve (ESP) Mitchelton – Scott at 22′
5. Miguel Ángel López (COL) Astana Pro Team at 33”