Nordhagen started the gruelling fourth stage of the Spanish stage race at the same time as GC leader Alessandro Pinarello. Team Visma | Lease a Bike took control halfway through the first ascent of the Alto Cabeza de Meda and helped ensure the breakaway group was reeled in early on.

With twenty kilometres to go, Anton Schiffer and George Bennett launched an attack. The pair built up a maximum lead of thirty seconds, but were caught on the steep slopes of the second and final ascent of the Alto Cabeza de Meda. Yates accelerated here and slowly but surely pulled away from his rivals. 

Nordhagen rode up at his own pace and stayed within about ten seconds for a long time. In the final kilometre, the young Norwegian conceded more and more time and fought his way to the finish. Ultimately, Nordhagen crossed the line three-quarters of a minute behind Yates. "Adam was the strongest today and deserved to win. That’s the honest story."

"I can’t blame myself for anything. On the final climb, I decided not to go full throttle straight away, because I knew I might burn myself out. I rode up at my own pace and tried to find my way into the climb. I think I can be satisfied with how I handled it."

Sports director Robert Wagner is left with a sense of pride after the penultimate stage. "Of course we wanted to win today and take the yellow jersey, but we also knew Adam would be a worthy opponent. He deserved to win today. I’m proud of the way we approached the race. We made a plan this morning and executed it from start to finish. Some of the lads are really coming into their own here. It’s fantastic to see."

With one stage remaining, Nordhagen trails Yates by 34 seconds. The Norwegian knows that anything is still possible in the final stage. "I’ve got nothing to lose tomorrow. I’m going to ride aggressively and try to make things as difficult as possible for Adam. Adam has shown himself to be very strong, so I know it will be difficult to beat him. Nevertheless, I’m going to do my absolute best to win."