After a brave attack inside final 1 kilometre which only the race leader was able to persist, Edgar Pinto became the third rider in this year’s Volta a Portugal to take a maiden victory in his professional career, while Gustavo Cesar Veloso maintained a lead in the general classification.

While yesterday’s stage has been played under a grey, rainy sky, the weather improved again today and the 192,5-kilometre long fourth stage of the Volta a Portugal from Boticas to Mondim de Basto kicked off in perfectly sunny conditions.

For the first time in this year’s edition of the Portuguese stage race, a huge, 30-rider group took off at the 5-kilometre mark and quickly gained advantage of 1 minute over the peloton.

A breakaway consisted of: Delio Fernandez, Hélder Oliveira (OFM Quinta da Lixa), César Fonte, Alberto Galego, Nuno Bico, Ricardo Vale (Radio Popular - Onda – Boavista), Hugo Sabido, António Carvalho, Pedro Paulinho, Luis Afonso (LA Aluminios – Antarte), Raul Alarcon, Raul de Mateus (Louletano - Dunas Douradas), Joăo Pereira, Henrique Casimiro (Banco Bic – Carmim), Bruno Silva (Efapel – Glassdrive), Angel Madrazo (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) Fernando Orjuela (4-72 – Colombia), Bayron Guama, Albert Torres (Team Ecuador), Diego Cuervo, Pablo Torres, Moisés Nevado (Burgos – BH), Sergey Shilov, Dmitry Sokolov (Lokosphinx), Max Walsleben (Team Stuttgart), Yukihiro Doi (Team Ukyo),

Christian Mager (Team Stolting), Daniel Dominguez, Enrico Rossi (Christina Watches – Kuma).

Despite losing a leader’s jersey to Gustavo Cesar Veloso yesterday, exactly like it happened in the previous stages Efapel-Glassdrive dictated a pace at the front of the peloton, while breaakaway’s advantage was oscillating around only one minute at the 30-kilometre mark and riders were successively dropping back from the front group.

A 27-rider breakaway decided first KOM sprint with Carvalho cresting the 2nd category Mosteiro de Cima summit first, ahead of Sabido and Casimiro but was reeled in by the peloton shortly afterwards, while Manuel Cardoso won the intermediate sprint situated at 47-kilometre mark with Vigano comind second and Mestre third.

Just after the peloton crested the first intermediate sprint of the day, an 11-rider group took off, this time consisting of Alberto Galego, Ricardo Vale (Radio Popular - Onda – Boavista), António Carvalho (LA Aluminios – Antarte), Joăo Pereira (Banco Bic – Carmim), Filipe Cardoso (Efapel – Glassdrive), Angel Madrazo (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Albert Torres (Team Ecuador), Juan Oroz, Moisés Nevado (Burgos – BH), Jose Vicente (Team Ukyo) and Daniel Dominguez (Christina Watches – Kuma).

The second breakaway of the day quickly gained a 2-minute advantage over the peloton where Efapel-Glassdrive continued setting a steady pace, and decided second and third intermediate sprints of today’s stage, with Filipe Cardoso coming thirst on both occasions. By this time, an advantage increased to 4:35.

A time gap continued to increase, and reached almost 5 minutes as the 11-rider group crested a summit of the second climb of the day, 3rd category Alto de Populo, where Carvalho again proved to be the strongest ahead of Perreira and Nevado.

The peloton, where Efapel-Glassdrive continued their work at the front of the peloton reduced a gap significantly as they approached the penultimate climb, first category Barragem do Alvao, but escapees still managed to hold off the chase to decide third KOM sprint of the day. Carvalho again took all points, this time with Madrazo coming second and Galego third.

3 Radio Popular and Caja Rural joined Efapel-Glassdrive in dictating a pace at the front of the peloton, what brought an immediate effect on bringing back the breakaway.

On the final climb, first category Alto Sra. Da Graca, certainly breakaway’s strongest climber and definite contender to succeed in mountains classification, Carvalho, split the break to pieces and rode clear on his own.

Former race leader, Victor De La Parte attacked and bridged the gap while OFM took over the pace-setting. Later yesterday’s stage winner David Belda attacked and joined the front duo.

Inside he final two kilometres, Belda dropped his companions just like he did it during yesterday’s mountain stage and it seemed that he would take the win. However, OFM upped the pace, quickly whittling down the yellow jersey group.

With 500m to go, Edgar Pinto (LA Aluminios – Antarte) attacked. Only race leader Gustavo Cesar Veloso (OFM) could keep his wheel but was unable to pass his rival, who took the stage win becoming the third rider in this year’s Volta a Portugal claiming first professional victory of his career.