After a quiet opening three stages it was probably a little naive of us to be placing our hopes and dreams of some grand tour excitement and drama on Stage 4‘s flat (ish! for La Vuelta) profile. Would there be echelons? No – no matter how many times a certain commentator mentioned them. Would we see some GC guys have a little dig on the final small, yet steep-ish, ramp (I told you, it was flat-ish!)? No. Would we indeed get any action? No. What did unravel was a classic GT sprinters stage – the breakaway, the catch, the bunch finish. But, come the end of the stage there wasn’t an unhappy cycling fan in the universe, thanks to a strong comeback win by Deceuninck QuickStep’s Fabio Jakobsen! A tumble in the closing kilometres for Rein Taaramae while looking resplendent in the red jersey, meant that he finished some time behind the bunch, but with his GC lead safely intact, thanks to the 3km rule.
Pre-stage coverage
Coverage of bike racing has been so superb this season that television fans almost don’t know what to do with themselves while waiting for La Vuelta coverage to begin.
Here's me, trying to convince everyone that @lavuelta is the best grand tour, and here's also me, waiting for coverage to start, and missing all the juicy bits at the beginning 😔 I've got a job to do here people #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/ESxeG1bybJ
— Katy M, La Vuelta Edition (@writebikerepeat) August 17, 2021
Welcome to the last three weeks of my life 😭😅 (Obvs family holiday totally what I want to be doing rather than watching bike racing………..) pic.twitter.com/4SDme2LRA7
— Katy M, La Vuelta Edition (@writebikerepeat) August 17, 2021
While we waited, there was plenty of time to appreciate the new custodian of the red jersey, Rein Taaramae.
Special day at the office
The red jersey ❤️
📸 @cyclingmedia_ag pic.twitter.com/8scmc0dR1p
— Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert (@IntermarcheWG) August 17, 2021
I’m not needy… I’m Wanty.
— Quicklink Podcast (@QuicklinkPod) August 17, 2021
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) August 17, 2021
Before coverage began, a trio made up of Carlos Canal Blanco (Burgos BH), Joan Bou (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Angel Madrazo (Burgos BH) formed the day’s breakaway and built a gap of around 4 minutes on the peloton.
🏁 Km 50 | Etapa 4 – Stage 4 | #LaVuelta21
🚴🚴 @carloscanal01 @JoanBou97 @AngelMadrazo
⏳4 minutos al pelotón
📸 @charlylopezph pic.twitter.com/AXXVjExecO
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 17, 2021
And seemingly by the time the TV coverage did start, the peloton had settled down into a steady but not frantic pace.
Is anything happening yet? Will it be over by tea team? #vuelta21
— Journal Velo (@JournalVelo) August 17, 2021
Bike racing? What bike racing?
When the actual cycling is lacking in action, cycling fans are experts at coming up with their own creative ways to entertain themselves.
I would love to see Logan Martin in the road peloton. #SBSVuelta #CouchPeloton pic.twitter.com/cDQLEpxmkO
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) August 17, 2021
Felix was on Castillo watch…
🏰Castillo!🏰
The denizens of Sigüenza even painted the roof of their castle (renowned for its capacious car parking facilities) red in homage to #LaVuelta21. Look carefully for the distant #VueltaSwimmingPools entry. Nice crenellations 7/10 #VueltaCastillos pic.twitter.com/bRUIaUCqlf— Felix Lowe (@saddleblaze) August 17, 2021
🏰Castillo!🏰
No surprise we're seeing a flurry of castles now we're in the Castilla y Leon region of Spain. This one comes with an entire fortified town in its front garden. No swimming pool, mind. 3/10 #VueltaCastillos #CastilloWatch #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/HCpglffPbq
— Felix Lowe (@saddleblaze) August 17, 2021
Nice castles. If the Middle Ages make a comeback, Spain will be well prepared. #LaVuelta21
— Win White (@wsquared3d) August 17, 2021
If no bike racing, then surely there’d be some field-art?!
So much untapped #VueltaFieldArt potential on #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/uaeTGdUJhq
— Felix Lowe (@saddleblaze) August 17, 2021
We are being far too generous with the use of the word “art” in describing the Vuelta’s field…decorations. #couchpeloton #vuelta21
— Jamie Naragon (@TdF4077) August 17, 2021
I don't think the bikes are going to work like that, but I'm not an expert pic.twitter.com/uL1sgjxu24
— adam becket (@adambecket) August 17, 2021
Talk about a blank canvas… #VueltaFieldArt #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/joODXBJCWh
— Felix Lowe (@saddleblaze) August 17, 2021
Le Tour… is that you?!
Some beady eye viewers spotted La Vuelta trying to impede on Le Tour territory…
Horses running alongside the peloton feels more Le Tour than La Vuelta. #LaVuelta21
— CyclingTips (@cyclingtips) August 17, 2021
#CouchPeloton 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Love seeing them. 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻— SusanMM (@susanmm3) August 17, 2021
Oi, @LeTour – your Spanish sibling has stolen your USP…
🌻🌻🌻🚴♂️🚴🚴♂️🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻 #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/yZwaqGIhJ5— Felix Lowe (@saddleblaze) August 17, 2021
The Catch
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the peloton picked up the pace and brought the break back, making the catch with 13.5km to go.
Today's Vuelta stage may just be finished in time for this https://t.co/nvX5Ya43Zf
— Journal Velo (@JournalVelo) August 17, 2021
Oh I’ve missed the catch
— Quicklink Podcast (@QuicklinkPod) August 17, 2021
The pace really picked up, and the teams started to form their orderly queues/sprint trains in preparation for a bunch finish.
The peloton forming semi orderly team queues is so satisfying. #CouchPeloton #LaVuelta21
— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) August 17, 2021
Rein Down!
It almost wouldn’t be a crazy, chaotic finish at a grand tour if there isn’t at least one spill.
At under 3km to go the peloton took a tight turn and the red jersey took a tumble.
NOOOOO NOT TAARAMÄE
— Robyn (@robynjournalist) August 17, 2021
How often do you see a race leader down like that, mad
— adam becket (@adambecket) August 17, 2021
The Rein came down.
— nyvelocity (@nyvelocity) August 17, 2021
Fortunately, Taaramae seemed to get up and move again with ease and was able to finish with his GC lead intact. Miraculously, although he was mid-bunch, no one else was taken down with him.
The return of fabulous Fabio
The closing metres saw a dig by Alexander Krieger of Alpecin-Fenix who were reaching out for grand tour glory once more.
Krieger, however, had gone too hard too soon, and a trio of Arnaud Demare (Groupama FDJ), Magnus Cort (EF Education Nippo) and Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck QuickStep) were the trio to battle out the sprint for the stage win.
And Jakobsen, who was by far the strongest of the three, took his third Vuelta a Espana stage victory!
#LaVuelta21 – FABIO JAKOBSEN WINS STAGE 4 #LFRLive
— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) August 17, 2021
FABIOOOOOOOO 😭😭😭🤍🤍🤍🤍
— janina (@jeanine______) August 17, 2021
Given the crash that Jakobsen suffered at the Tour of Poland last year, there is not a cycling fan in the house who was not pleased by this result!
You'd have to have a heart of stone not to celebrate that win for Fabio Jakobsen. I love to see it.
— Journal Velo (@JournalVelo) August 17, 2021
And so the Fabio Jakobsen comeback arc is complete. Incredible.
— jackson roman (@YoungAjax) August 17, 2021
Fabio Jakobsen! Not sure there will be a more popular stage winner at this year’s Vuelta, less than a year after that horror crash. A perfectly timed sprint on uphill finish 👏🏼 #LaVuelta21
— Laura Winter (@lauracwinter) August 17, 2021
How good is it to see Jakobsen back winning, at Grand Tours no less?! #LaVuelta21
— CyclingTips (@cyclingtips) August 17, 2021
Really impressive win from Fabio Jakobsen, barely a year on from that horrible crash that saw him in an induced coma – there were fears for his life/career, let alone whether he'd be back winning at a grand tour. Huge. #LaVuelta21
— adam becket (@adambecket) August 17, 2021
Olé!!!#LaVuelta21 #No48in2021 pic.twitter.com/EZwtgDlhKh
— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) August 17, 2021
A reminder of those injuries that Jakobsen suffered…
A reminder of the injuries Fabio Jakobsen overcame after his Tour of Poland crash, courtesy of @Eurosport pic.twitter.com/QjnETHh09x
— Andy McGrath (@Andymcgra) August 17, 2021
The final word
Taaramäe 😱 Jakobsen 🥺
Bike racing delivering the feels, as per usual. #CouchPeloton #LaVuelta21— Belinda (@reallyspoketome) August 17, 2021
All the results
Stage results
1 Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 3:43:07
2 Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) same time
3 Magnus Cort (EF Education Nippo) s/t
4 Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) s/t
5 Michael Matthews (Team Bike Exchange) s/t
GC Top 10
1 Rein Taaramäe (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) 13:08:51
2 Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) +0:25
3 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +0:30
4 Lilian Calmejane (AG2R Citroën Team) +0:35
5 Enric Mas (Movistar Team) +0:45
6 Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar Team) +0:51
7 Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:57
8 Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) +0:57
9 Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) +0:57
10 Mikel Linda (Bahrain Victorious) +1:09
All the jerseys
🏆 Líderes tras la etapa 4 | Leaders after stage 4
❤️🇪🇪 Rein Taaramäe
💚🇳🇱 @FabioJakobsen
🔵🇪🇪 Rein Taaramäe
⚪🇨🇴 @Eganbernal🚴🚴🚴 @TeamEmiratesUAE
👊🇪🇸 @AngelMadrazo #LaVuelta21 pic.twitter.com/FZh3LEaXQu— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 17, 2021
Leader’s jersey : Rein Taaramäe (Intermarche-Wanty)
Points jersey : Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep)
King of the Mountains: Rein Taaramae (Intermarche-Wanty)
Best young rider : Egan Bernal (Ineos)
Best team : UAE Team Emirates
For full race results, go to CyclingNews.com