Team Sky's Rigoberto Uran won the Volta A Catalunya Fourth Stage this afternoon.
After yesterday's snow affected stage, the fourth stage left Tremp en route to Ascó without the liles of Bradley Wiggins and Andy Schleck (pictured below) who were amongst forty riders who did not start, vastly reducing the quality of the race.
Three who did start this 199km stage were Jesús Rosendo, Julián Sánchez (193) and Romain Zingle who went clear after six kilometres.
Zingle took the climb at l'Alt de la Fontllonga and although he had mechanical problems, he was able to get back to join the other two at the head of the course.
With 64kms gone, Rosendo took the intermediate sprint at Termens.as their lead went out to 4.20.
A crash in the peloton, some twenty kilometres later , saw Wilco Kelderman having to be taken to hospital and joined Julian Dean who had broken his leg in yesterday's stage. Paolo Longo also crashed but fortunately he was able to get back to the peloton.
The next big climb was the Coll de Paumeres and the gap had come down to 2.30 as the riders started on the ascent.
The escapers had been neuralised with 149kms gone and with Green Edge controlling the peloton for race leader Michael Albasini, there was a number of riders trying to get away.
Levi Leipheimer and Rigoberto Uran in a three man break with Sandy Casar and Polish national champion Tomasz Marczynski, were two who went on the descent of the Coll de Paumeres.
Ireland's Dan Martin and Nicholas Roche (pictured below) were on the chase with 35kms to go after Uran had dropped back to the peloton.
Tomasz Marczynski took the sprint in Ascó with 28 kilometres to go but was caught as the stage passed the 175km mark.
Samuel Sanchez was at the front of five riders containing Leipheimer and Uran over the Coll de Paumeres for the final time with Michael Albasini at the front of the chasing group.
There was a sprint for the line and Uran took it in a time of 5;13:12 ahead of Menchov and Szymdt.
Michael Albasini keeps his race leaders white jersey
.
Pictures copyright of Covsupport News Service. Credit CNS/KM