Calmejane and Atapuma were in a group of 21 riders that broke clear of the peloton after the first of two category three climbs in the first half of the stage.
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Rookie rider Lilian Calmejane of France won the fourth stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Tuesday, while Colombian Darwin Atapuma took the overall lead of the grand tour.
Further back the men expected to challenge for the GC had a comfortable day in the peloton, Froome and Quintana rolling home two minutes behind the stage victor with Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) – the Spaniard still trailing by one minute and 52 seconds overall.
Spaniard Ruben Fernandez took second place and with it the overall leader’s jersey.
Fernandez raised his arms in celebration as he crossed the line, appearing to be unaware that Geniez had beaten him to the finish by 21 seconds.
The 23-year-old, competing in his maiden Grand Tour, escaped with 20 other riders during the 163 kilometre ride from Betanzos to San Andrés de Teixido.
Fernandez finished 49 seconds behind the GC group and lies one minute 11 seconds behind Atapuma.
He told Eurosport: “It’s a very great feeling”. “I started the Vuelta with a lot of ideas in my head but to win a stage so soon in the Vuelta is just awesome”.
Contador is looking to match Roberto Heras’s record of four Vuelta wins on home soil but, having lost 52 seconds in the opening stage time trial, finished 28 a further seconds behind red jersey rivals Froome and Valverde. When I was alone, first in the race, I gave everything and it’s wonderful. “The goal was to win a stage, so now everything from here is a bonus”.
Belgium’s Thomas De Gendt and France’s Pierre Rolland were among the key instigators of the move, which would fend off the attentions of the main field throughout the day.
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Colombia’s Darwin Atapuma finished 15 seconds adrift of the stage victor in second, having outsprinted the United States’ Ben King.
