Germany’s sprinter Marcel Kittel, center, crosses the finish line to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 237.5 kilometers (147.3 miles) with start in Saumur and finish in Limoges, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2016.
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It was his first Tour win since the final stage of the 2014 race, where he left with four wins and after a 2015 season affected by sickness.
Chris Froome finished 37th on the day, and after bonus seconds were applied he sits in fifth place overall, 18 seconds off Sagan in yellow before the first notable uphill tests of this Tour come on Wednesday.
Brailsford did, however, add that he could “see the logic of bringing in maybe a four- to five-kilometre rule, taking the GC time there, and then letting the sprint play out after that”.
“I know that I’m not feeling better than yesterday but I’m still here”, he said.
History: Some bad memories might have crossed the mind of three-time Tour de France victor Greg LeMond when the peloton went past the little town of Les Loges-Marchis.
“It’s a very, very important day in my career, to show that I’m back. We went slow. It was nice”, said Sagan, who playfully bumped shoulders with some of the other riders just to keep things interesting.
It was a rest day for everyone, Sagan said.
“Maybe it’s a stage for someone like (second-placed Julian) Alaphilippe or (third-placed Alejandro) Valverde, Dan Martin maybe”, Froome added.
Lotto-Soudal had led the train superbly in the final kilometre of the longest stage on this year’s Tour, but their sprinter Andre Greipel was unable to prosper.
Wearing yellow for the first time, the Briton marked the special occasion with a customized bike featuring yellow handlebar and pedals. It goes to an unsung hero who has caught the eye or deserves recognition for his efforts, rather than necessarily the stage victor or the most attacking rider.
Early attackers built up a six-minute lead but their 200-kilometer breakaway was reined in by the pack.
The Tour de France is the biggest cycling race in the world.
He managed to rejoin the leading group while a crash split the main peloton in two after 60 kilometers. “He’s been fortunate the last few days but that was tough for him today”.
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There were some broad smiles on the riders’ faces as the sun finally broke through the clouds with 100 kilometers left, drying the roads and warming bodies in the peloton.
