Del Toro in prime position heading into Queen stage in Burgos

A scorching penultimate day of the Vuelta a Burgos unfolded with Portugal’s Rui Oliveira delivering an inspired performance to secure a hard-fought third place on stage 4. The hilly 162.7 km route from Doña Santos to Regumiel de la Sierra saw a breakaway group go clear, but it was veteran climber Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) who unleashed a decisive move on the Alto del Cargadero, soloing to the stage win. Oliveira, engaged in a four-man sprint for the minor podium places, crossed the line behind his compatriot Rui Costa (EF Education-EasyPost) in second, rounding out an impressive podium.

Rui Oliveira : “It was full-gas from the start with very aggressive racing for the breakaway. After a long period of attacking I made it into the front group which in the end was a very strong group. I knew Caruso would be one of the strongest on the climbs and he deserved the win. I think this result is a good sign for the second part of the season.

Today was one of my hottest days ever on a bike.  Tomorrow we will give one last push for Del Toro to go for the GC.”

Meanwhile, in the overall standings, French rider Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon-AG2R) retained the leader’s jersey by a slim margin, arriving at tomorrow’s decisive mountain finale at Lagunas de Neila with a 26-second buffer over both Isaac del Toro and Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS-Astana), while Giulio Pellizzari (RED Bull Bora hansgrohe) sits just 22 seconds behind.

Del Toro’s consistency throughout the race keeps him firmly inside podium contention, setting up a dramatic showdown on Saturday.

As the race heads into tomorrow’s demanding queen stage—138 km to Lagunas de Neila, with over 2,700 m of climbing and a punishing final ascent averaging over 9%—the battle for the Vuelta a Burgos title is poised to reach its dramatic conclusion.

Stage 4 results

1.Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious) 3:33:18

2.Rui Costa (EF Education EasyPost) +1’26”

3. Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) s.t

General Classification after stage 4 

1. Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) 16:23:02

2.Giulio Pellizzari  (Red Bull Bora hansgrohe) +22″

3.Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +26″