Etixx-Quick Step’s Marcel Kittel held off a brilliant late surge from Direct Energie’s Bryan Coquard on Tuesday to win Stage 4 of the Tour de France, as another segment of the race was decided by a photo finish.
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Four breakaway riders have built up a five-minute lead over the peloton in the fourth and longest stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday. But he just managed to hang on and edge Coquard. I was never as close to victory, but I haven’t won yet. “It was a bit sketchy, with 5km to go I almost crashed and I lost my leadout”, said the 31-year-old Briton.
Contador, who has hurt his left and right sides in his fall and a calf muscle, said: “It’s hard for me to pedal sitting out of the saddle, but that’s a question of time”.
“I could see I was making it back [today] but it was not enough”.
The 31-year-old Van Avermaet also won a stage in last year’s Tour and is known as a specialist at single-day classics and short stage races, having won Paris-Tours in 2011 and the Tirreno-Adriatico this year.
“I had a tough start to the season but the goal has always been the Tour de France”, Kittel said.
It was an even narrower winning margin than Cavendish’s lunge to beat Andre Greipel on the line in Angers. “I’m mega, mega happy”.
The 31-year-old reigning Tour champion now sits fifth on the overall standings, just 18 seconds behind yellow jersey wearer Peter Sagan. “I’m super happy. I’m very proud because the team was really fighting for this win”.
It was Cavendish’s second victory in this Tour and 28th overall, matching Bernard Hinault for second on the all-time list behind Eddy Merckx, who had 34 stage wins.
The World champion extended his overall lead over 2nd-placed Julian Alaphileep to 12 seconds in the general classification thanks to the Time Bonus.
Now he is already proving he deserves recognition as a top sprinter with his string of top-ten finishes – comparable to French rider Bryan Coquard’s debut in 2014, when he made a nuisance of himself on all the sprint finishes.
Markel Irizar (Trek-Segafredo), Oliver Naesen (IAM Cycling), Andreas Schillinger (Bora-Argon 18), and Alexis Gougeard (AG2R La Mondiale) went up the road early, building a lead that maxed out at six minutes.
On the eve of the first mountain stage in Massif Central, the race’s main favorites enjoyed a quiet day safe in the peloton.
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Others who will be looking forward to the first big mountain stage will be defending champion Chris Froome, Movistar’s Nairo Quintana and Astana’s Fabio Aru.
