Primož Roglič secured his first victory of 2025 on Thursday, clinching a thrilling win in the fourth stage of the Volta a Catalunya. The Slovenian rider triumphed on the challenging summit finish at Montserrat Mil·lenari, narrowly beating Spain’s Juan Ayuso to take the race lead.
Roglič, riding for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, responded to Ayuso’s attack with under three kilometers remaining on the climb. Despite Ayuso’s best efforts to break away, Roglič managed to match his pace and eventually out-sprinted him to the finish line. The two riders are now tied on time, but Roglič takes the lead due to a count-back on stage results.
The pair had been locked in a tense battle, with Roglič repeatedly attempting to distance Ayuso in the final stretch, only to be matched by the Spaniard’s resilience. The stage ended in a sprint, with Roglič edging ahead for the victory.
Behind them, a group of favorites, including Enric Mas of Movistar, crossed the line three seconds later, with other contenders like Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike) further behind.
With three stages remaining in the race, including a mountainous stage six and a classic hilly finale around Barcelona, the battle for the overall lead is far from over.
“I had something left at the end, so luckily I won,” Roglič said after the stage. “It was a fast tempo from the start, with the wind… It was annoying, but I managed to finish strong.”
He also cautioned that the competition is far from finished. “Definitely not,” Roglič responded when asked if the battle was over. “There are still hard days ahead. We’re in a good position, and we’ll take it day by day.”
Roglič’s victory comes just a day after Ayuso claimed a summit finish win on stage three, narrowly beating Roglič in a similar contest. With both riders set to compete in the Giro d’Italia in May, their ongoing rivalry could intensify over the coming weeks.
Reflecting on his win on stage three, Ayuso had praised Roglič’s sportsmanship. “I was trying to come up on the outside, but Primož behaved like a champion. He didn’t shut me in or cause a crash, and we had a fair sprint. I’m happy I managed to win against such a great rival.”
The Volta a Catalunya is only Roglič’s second race of the year, following his modest eighth-place finish at the Volta ao Algarve in February.
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