Alejandro Valverde regains the lead in the Volta a Catalunya with a fourth stage win ©Twitter

Spain's Alejandro Valverde, riding for Movistar, re-took the lead in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya with an aggressive attack on the summit finish of the fourth of seven stages - a 170.8 kilometre route between Llanars and La Molina.

Valverde, winner of the second stage, thus regained the initiative from Belgium's Thomas De Gendt, the Lotto-Soudal rider, who had earned a solo win on a third stage reduced because of poor conditions.

Colombian Esteban Chaves, of Mitchelton-Scott, went clear after 80km, but after he was caught it all came down to the final climb of the day to La Molina.

The Movistar team dominated the final climb in the International Cycling Union World Tour race in Spain.

Egan Bernal, another Colombian, of Team Sky, made a bid to take the initiative with 500 metres to go, but he had no answer as Valverde struck with 150m left.

Jolien D’hoore, pictured at last month's UCI World Championships, won the women’s Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde ©Getty Images
Jolien D’hoore, pictured at last month's UCI World Championships, won the women’s Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde ©Getty Images

In the UCI Women's World Tour, Jolien D’hoore, riding for Mitchelton-Scott, won an incident-filled 2018 edition of the Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde in Belgium.

The Belgian world road race champion took the bunch sprint, but had to check with other riders after crossing the line that she had actually won, as she thought a remnant of the day's break had got there first.

Australia's Chloe Hosking of Ale-Cipollini placed second with Luxembourg's Christine Majerus of Boels-Dolmans completing the podium positions in third in a 151.7km race from Bruges to De Panne that was punctuated by numerous crashes caused by earlier rain and blustery conditions.