Kristen Faulkner Wins Stage 4 of Vuelta Femenina as Marianne Vos Takes Red Jersey

Kristen Faulkner of EF Education-Cannondale won stage four of the Vuelta Femenina in Zaragoza, Spain on Wednesday. The American rider attacked in the final 5 kilometers of the 118.2 km stage and soloed to victory, finishing 10 seconds ahead of a group of 17 riders. Australia's Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) finished second, with Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) of the Netherlands taking third place.

Vos's result allowed her to take over the red leader's jersey from Kata Blanka Vas of Hungary, who had held the overall lead since winning stage 1. Faulkner's impressive performance moved her up from 22nd to third place in the general classification, just 9 seconds behind Vos. Vas now sits in second overall.

Why this matters: Faulkner's win and rise in the overall standings shakes up the general classification at the midpoint of the Vuelta Femenina. With several challenging mountain stages still to come, the battle for the red jersey is heating up between Vos, Vas, Faulkner and other top contenders.

The stage was marked by strong crosswinds that split the peloton early on. A front group of 18 riders, including Vos, Vas, and Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime), formed and built a lead of over a minute on the chasers. Faulkner's EF Education-Cannondale teammate Alison Jackson was also in the lead group.

Faulkner launched her winning move on a short climb with 5 km to go. "I knew that Alison and I wouldn't be able to beat the likes of Vos and Baker in a sprint," Faulkner explained. "I was thinking of attacking in the last kilometer, but then I decided to follow Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini when they tried to get away. I countered and just went solo to the line. It really worked out perfectly."

The win is Faulkner's biggest yet in her career and her team's second stage victory in this year's Vuelta Femenina, after Jackson won stage 1. The race continues on Thursday with stage 5, a 113 km mountain stage from Huesca to Jaca that features two categorized climbs. With Faulkner now in podium position, she will look to maintain or improve her placing, while Vos and Vas aim to defend their spots at the top of the general classification.

Key Takeaways

• Kristen Faulkner won stage 4 of Vuelta Femenina with a late solo attack.
• Marianne Vos took over the overall lead from Kata Blanka Vas.
• Faulkner moved up to 3rd in GC, 9 seconds behind Vos.
• Stage was marked by strong crosswinds that split the peloton.
• Upcoming stage 5 is a mountain stage with two categorized climbs.