UAE Team ADQ secured another good result at La Vuelta España Femenina, claiming a top-10 finish on Stage 4 thanks to Karlijn Swinkels.
The 115.6-kilometre stage from Monforte de Lemos to Antas de Ulla was animated by an early breakaway of four riders, who managed to stay clear for much of the day. The move was gradually reduced to two riders in the final kilometres before the peloton brought them back just a few kilometres from the finish.
The finale proved technical and fast, leading to a bunch sprint to decide the winner. World Champion Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) powered to victory, while Karlijn Swinkels delivered another solid performance for UAE Team ADQ, crossing the line in 10th place.
There were also positive signs in the mountains classification, with Maeva Squiban collecting two points at one of the day’s QOMs. Although she did not reclaim the classification jersey, she now sits level on points with the new leader, keeping the battle wide open heading into the coming stages.
After another consistent team display, UAE Team ADQ remains the leading squad in the team classification for the fourth consecutive day, underlining the collective strength shown throughout the race so far.
Tomorrow, the riders will face Stage 5 from León to Astorga, covering 119.6 kilometres. On paper, it looks set to be the most favourable opportunity so far for the pure sprinters in the peloton.
(ph. @facepeeters)
