The German cycling newcomer Franziska Koch lost the red jersey at the Tour of Spain despite her next strong performance.
The winner of Paris-Roubaix crossed the finish line in fifth place in the group around stage winner Lotte Kopecky (Belgium/SD Worx-Protime) on the fourth stage, but had to give up the overall lead to the Belgian.
Kopecky won the supposedly easiest stage of the tour from Monforte de Lemos to Antas de Ulla over 115.6 kilometers in the finish sprint ahead of her teammate Anna van der Breggen from the Netherlands. Letizia Paternoster (Italy/Liv AlUla Jayco) completed the top three. For the stage win, among other things, Kopecky was credited with ten seconds in the overall standings, which is why she ultimately took the red jersey from Koch.
Koch starts in green
In the overall standings, Koch is six seconds behind two-time world champion Kopecky. Third is the winner of the third stage, Cédrine Kerbaol from the EF Education team from France, twelve seconds behind. The second best German in the overall ranking is Liane Lippert (Movistar/+26 seconds) in eighth place.
The top favorites for overall victory in the Tour of Spain include the French Tour winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a bike) and the Pole Kasia Niewiadoma from the German team Canyon//Sram zondacrypto, who triumphed in the Tour of France the year before last.
On Thursday Koch will start in León in the green jersey of the best sprinter. After 119.6 kilometers the stage ends in Astorga. Apart from two short climbs towards the middle of the race, the profile is largely flat.
The Vuelta final is tough
It is doubtful whether she will still have a chance of getting red at the Vuelta final next Sunday. The decision for overall victory is made on the dreaded L’Angliru climb. The mountain, which the men have already ridden at the Vuelta, has a maximum gradient of 23 percent over its 12.1 kilometers. Riders like the French Tour winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot then have an advantage. Regardless of the final result, Franziska Koch can already count her Vuelta as a success.
