Lotte Kopecky moved into the red jersey after Stage 4 of La Vuelta Femenina 2026, finally turning a run of near misses into a stage victory and the overall race lead. The SD Worx-Protime rider won the sprint in Antas de Ulla ahead of teammate Anna van der Breggen, with Letizia Paternoster taking 3rd after another tense Galician stage.
The result changed the top of the general classification. Kopecky now leads the race on 12:10:46, six seconds ahead of Franziska Koch and 12 seconds ahead of Cédrine Kerbaol. Van der Breggen’s 2nd place also moved her up to 4th overall at 20 seconds, giving SD Worx-Protime two riders inside the top four before the race heads towards the decisive mountain stages.
It was also a day of classification movement beyond the red jersey. Kopecky now leads the points classification as well as GC, Marine Allione took over the mountains jersey after spending the day in the break, Lore De Schepper kept white, and UAE Team ADQ continued to lead the team classification.
For the wider route picture, our La Vuelta Femenina 2026 full route guide breaks down the remaining stages, including Les Praeres and the Angliru.
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 GC after stage 4
Kopecky’s move into red came through the most direct route possible: winning the stage and taking the maximum finish bonus. She began the day only two seconds behind Koch, so the 10-second bonus for victory was enough to put her into the overall lead even though the main favourites finished on the same time.
Koch still limited the damage well. Her 5th place on the stage brought a two-second bonus, keeping her within six seconds of Kopecky overall. That means FDJ-Suez remain firmly in the race, especially with Évita Muzic still 6th overall at 22 seconds.
Kerbaol also stays close enough to remain a major factor. She is now 3rd at 12 seconds, having won Stage 3 and then defended her position through another reduced finish. Van der Breggen is the other big mover after Stage 4, climbing to 4th overall at 20 seconds after helping deliver a one-two for SD Worx-Protime.
Behind them, the first proper mountain stages will now start to sort out which of the early leaders are genuine GC threats and which have profited most from bonus seconds. Sarah Van Dam, Muzic, Loes Adegeest, Liane Lippert, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Paula Blasi, Kasia Niewiadoma and Mavi Garcia are all still close enough that the race remains highly compressed before the climbing block.
General classification top 10 after stage 4
- Lotte Kopecky, SD Worx-Protime, 12:10:46
- Franziska Koch, FDJ-Suez, +6
- Cédrine Kerbaol, EF Education-Oatly, +12
- Anna van der Breggen, SD Worx-Protime, +20
- Sarah Van Dam, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +22
- Évita Muzic, FDJ-Suez, +22
- Loes Adegeest, Lidl-Trek, +24
- Liane Lippert, Movistar, +26
- Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +26
- Paula Blasi, UAE Team ADQ, +26
Photo Credit: Aritz ArambarriRed jersey after stage 4
Kopecky now leads La Vuelta Femenina 2026 after four stages. Her victory in Antas de Ulla was the result she had been chasing since the opening weekend, after finishing 2nd on Stage 1, being relegated on Stage 2 and finishing 2nd again on Stage 3.
The red jersey changes the tactical picture. SD Worx-Protime now have the race lead and a second rider high on GC through Van der Breggen, who sits 4th overall. That gives them control, but also responsibility. The next stages are more suited to the pure climbers, so Kopecky’s lead is not yet secure.
For Koch, the loss of red is not a disaster. She is only six seconds behind, remains well placed in the points classification, and has been one of the most consistent riders of the race so far. Her first four stages have included 3rd, 2nd, a safe finish in the front group and 5th in Antas de Ulla.
Photo Credit: Aritz ArambarriGreen jersey after stage 4
Kopecky also moved to the top of the points classification after Stage 4, helped by the points from her stage victory. However, because she now wears the red jersey, Koch is expected to wear green on Stage 5 as the next eligible rider in the points competition.
That reflects how consistent Koch has been through the opening half of the race. She has scored heavily across the first four stages and remains close in both GC and points. Kopecky’s win has shifted the balance, but the points competition is still closely linked to the same group of riders contesting the overall classification.
The shape of the next stages may now change the green jersey contest. Stage 5 looks more open for faster riders before the race reaches the steep summit finishes, but once Les Praeres and the Angliru arrive, points may become harder for the sprinters and punchier finishers to collect.
Photo Credit: Aritz ArambarriMountains jersey after stage 4
Marine Allione took over the mountains jersey after spending the day in the breakaway with Annelies Nijssen. The pair went clear early and made the most of the two category 3 climbs on the route, with Allione taking enough points to move into the polka-dot jersey.
That was an important reward for a move that came close to surviving deep into the stage. The break was eventually brought back before the finish, but Allione still left the day with a jersey and a clear result for Mayenne Monbana My Pie.
The mountains competition is now set to change character. The opening climbs and category 3 points have rewarded breakaway riders, but the final two stages are much more severe. Les Praeres and the Angliru should bring the GC climbers directly into the mountains classification battle, especially if the race is decided by attacks on the steepest gradients.
Photo Credit: Aritz ArambarriWhite jersey after stage 4
Lore De Schepper retained the white jersey after Stage 4. The AG Insurance-Soudal rider finished safely in the front group and remains 16th overall at 26 seconds, level on time with many of the main GC names still waiting for the first major mountain selection.
Her consistency has been one of the quieter stories of the race. De Schepper has avoided the crashes and splits that have already reshaped the opening stages, and she has continued to place herself well enough to protect the young rider lead.
The challenge now becomes more difficult. The first four stages have been stressful and selective, but the final mountain block will test climbing depth far more directly. De Schepper has given herself a strong position before that shift.
Team classification after stage 4
UAE Team ADQ continue to lead the team classification on 36:33:36. Their advantage is still fragile, with several teams level on time, but they remain at the head of the standings after another consistent day across the squad.
Paula Blasi, Mavi Garcia and Erica Magnaldi are all still close enough overall to make UAE visible before the mountains, while Maëva Squiban has already been part of the mountains classification battle earlier in the race. That depth is why the team classification lead feels more than accidental.
The next two stages will test that structure properly. Team classifications often stay close through the opening half of a race, then shift quickly once the climbs become steep enough to split teams apart. UAE Team ADQ have the riders to keep defending it, but the margin for error is small.
What the standings mean before stage 5
Kopecky’s move into red gives La Vuelta Femenina 2026 a new leader before the race leaves the Galician block behind. It also gives SD Worx-Protime control of the race at an interesting moment. Stage 5 from León to Astorga is the final stage before the major summit finishes, so it could be one last opportunity for a wider range of riders before the climbers take over.
The GC is still compact. Koch is only six seconds behind, Kerbaol is at 12 seconds, and Van der Breggen has moved into a strong position at 20 seconds. Behind them, many of the riders expected to matter on Les Praeres and the Angliru are still close enough to transform the race once the gradients sharpen.
For the deeper GC contenders, the first half of the race has been about survival. Now the emphasis begins to change. The opening four stages have rewarded positioning, sprint strength and tactical sharpness. The final mountain stages should reward climbing, pacing and the ability to recover after a chaotic start to the week.
Our La Vuelta Femenina 2026 stage 5 preview looks ahead to the next route, while the La Vuelta Femenina 2026 contenders preview tracks the wider GC picture before the decisive climbs.
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 jersey leaders after stage 4
- Red jersey: Lotte Kopecky, SD Worx-Protime
- Green jersey leader: Lotte Kopecky, SD Worx-Protime
- Green jersey wearer on Stage 5: Franziska Koch, FDJ-Suez
- Mountains jersey: Marine Allione, Mayenne Monbana My Pie
- White jersey: Lore De Schepper, AG Insurance-Soudal
- Team classification: UAE Team ADQ
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 Stage 4 Result
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