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Vuelta a Espana 2016: Stage 4 live race updates, blog

23rd August, 2016
Distance: 163.5km
Start: Betanzos
Finish: San Andres de Teixido
TV: Live Eurosport from 10:45pm (AEST)
Stage Betting: Valverde $4, Froome and Chaves $7, Brambilla and Fernandez $15
Esteban Chaves is chasing his second Grand Tour podium of the year at the Vuelta a Espana. (Team Sky)
Editor
23rd August, 2016
33

The riders struggled through one of the harshest climbs on the calendar yesterday, but won’t be given much respite on Stage 4 today, taking on the second uphill finish in the opening days. Join The Roar from 10:45pm (AEST) for all the live highlights and racing action.

Ruben Fernandez is holding onto a seven-second lead coming into the fourth day in the saddle, but he’s got Alejandro Valverde and Chris Froome on his tail after they both finished strong on Stage 3 to slot in behind him.

Stage 4 will be the second finish on the ascent in the opening four days for the peloton, as they’re greeted with three main climbs and a few medium rises throughout the day.

The steady opening flats will give the riders a chance to build into the first climb of the day, hitting the rise 20km into the stage.

The category 3 Alto da Serra Capela is their first task, climbing over 500 metres at around four and a half percent for 6.5km, before a brief respite for the riders in the form of a short descent.

It’s straight back into the leg burning through, moving up the next category 3 Alto Monte Caxado, peaking at the highest point of the day, 670m above sea level.

After 7.3km of the Caxado, the pack head all the way up to the north-west coastline of Spain towards the finish. A pair of table top runs break up the 70km of flats leading into the final climb.

A category two, the last climb to the line is broken up into sections, the first rising at around 5% for 6km before the slightest of declines where the pace will shoot off and the chance that a breakaway, or chase, can really seize.

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The last four kilometres are much heavier though, hitting around 7% just to really hit the riders hard after 159km of riding.

The last stretch is a 2km straight piece of tarmac, meaning the riders will spend a long time leading into the final sprint, as much as you can sprint at 7%, without any breaking corners.

Prediction
A tough day in the saddle for everyone, this one should certainly produce breakaway opportunities.

Other than the inevitable bunch of four or five that will shoot off the start at the first climb, the final run into the finish has a couple of big chances for a break on the field.

Brambilla could fare well on this one, as will Valverde if he wants to play the early cards and take the GC lead in the opening week.

Froome will most likely stay back in the pack and pick up a safe time without risking too much, there’s still too long to go for him to burn himself out.

Ben Hermans might be an outside run on a breakaway but don’t expect too much there.

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