Ben Turner Wins Vuelta Stage 4 Gaudu Takes Overall Lead

Britain's Ben Turner of Ineos Grenadiers secured his first Grand Tour victory by winning the sprint finish on stage four of the 2025 Vuelta a España, outfoxing favorite Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck. The 206.7km stage began in Italy and crossed the Alps into Voiron, France, featuring multiple categorized climbs but ultimately favoring a reduced sprint. David Gaudu, who won the previous stage, took over the race leader's red jersey from Jonas Vingegaard based on a countback, with both riders finishing with the same overall time. The stage was marked by aggressive breakaways, including efforts by Joel Nicolau and Bruno Armirail, but sprinters' teams like Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck controlled the peloton to set up the sprint finish. The race then transitions back to Spain for a crucial 24-km team time trial, which is expected to influence the general classification before entering the high mountain stages. Turner’s victory was a significant upset against the sprint favorites, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the Vuelta’s early stages.