tour de france stage 4 course

Spring Classics

5 unmissable stages of the 2024 Tour de France

Mountains, gravel, and final-day drama: Here are our pick of the most promising stages of next year's Tour

Patrick Fletcher

Deputy editor.

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The fearsome Col du Galibier appears shockingly early in the 2024 Tour de France

The 2024 Tour de France is a thrill-seeker, seeking to capture the increasingly elusive attention of as broad an audience as possible. We have mountains at the start, mountains at the end, and gravel in the middle. We have the hilliest ever opening stage and we have a real race on the final day for the first time in 35 years.

In short, we have plenty of ammo for this run-down of 'unmissable' stages.

The 2024 Tour de France will, of course, be live in full on GCN+ and while you may well watch every stage from start to finish, these for us are the standout days when you're going to want to clear your calendars.

Stage 4: Why take a tunnel when you can climb a col?

July 2: Pinerolo – Valloire, 138km

The profile for stage 4 of the 2024 Tour de France

“Never before has the Tour been so high, so soon,” said Christian Prudhomme as he unveiled this early foray into the Alps. We knew the race had to get from Italy to France, and that means negotiating the Alps, but doing so in this way was not on many bingo cards.

“We could have passed through some tunnels, but we had no interest in doing that, so we preferred to pass over some cols,” Prudhomme added with a mischievous smile.

This is a proper mountain stage, and even if you look at it and think it’s not the likeliest to generate decisive general classification movement, you then remember it’s only stage 4 and that this sort of thing isn’t supposed to happen this early in a Grand Tour.

A full on mountain stage this early is unprecedented, but it's not the first time the Tour has started with some hills. In some respects the first few stages of this Tour are a natural step up from what we saw last year. We have more elevation gain on the opening day in 2024 (3,600m) than we did in the Basque Country last year, when an early foray into the Pyrenees on stages 5 and 6 – on routes that didn’t look ultra-decisive – ended up seeing Vingegaard and Pogačar trade significant blows.

The same is possible on this route, which effectively climbs from the gun, all the way to Sestrières at 2035m. The race crosses the Italo-French border via the Col de Montgenèvre (8.3km at 5.9%) and then it’s time for the Galibier, one of the most iconic mountains of the Tour de France.

It's the southern side of the mountain in action here, totalling 23km at 5.1%, much of that being a steady plod up the Col du Lauteret, where the prevailing headwind could see a contained race. But things suddenly change when you ignore that left turn and head right onto the upper reaches of the Galibier, as the gradient ramps up dramatically, the mountainside vertiginously falls away, and the altitude starts to bite.

This will be as much about the descent as the ascent, with the route re-tracing the steps that made Tom Pidcock a Netflix star, so we’re in for a spectacular finale, however the Galibier leaves it hanging. The draggy nature of much of the climbing may fail to inspire some fans, but you have a Tour de France icon, altitude, and a stunning descent, and then you remember it’s only stage 4.

Stage 9: Gravel storm incoming

July 7: Troyes – Troyes, 199km

The profile for stage 9 of the 2024 Tour de France

Love gravel, hate gravel, you are not missing this. This could be a massive moment for the race; it could be a massive moment in the history of the Tour de France; it could amount to very little at all; but it’s going to be captivating viewing, either way.

There was a sense of shock after Christian Prudhomme had unveiled the parcours for this stage. The very presence of gravel had been heavily touted in the pre-presentation rumour mill, but, sorry… how much?! No fewer than 14 sectors will line the route of stage 9, totalling more than 32km of the so-called chemins blancs (white tracks). That’s not Strade Bianche territory, but it’s considerably more than the 12.9km used when the Tour de France Femmes visited this area in 2022, the 11.6km on offer at next year’s Giro d’Italia, and any helping of cobblestone sectors we’ve had over the years.

It’s going to kick up a storm of dust on the day but it has already whipped up a stormy debate. “It is not necessary,” said an exasperated Jumbo-Visma boss Richard Plugge, a feeling echoed by his Bora-Hansgrohe counterpart Ralph Denk and in more diplomatic terms by his rider, the defending champion Jonas Vingegaard. Remco Evenepoel has already spoken out against the gravel, while his Soudal Quick-Step boss Patrick Lefevere has never hidden his own distaste for gravel and cobbles.

The general argument against is that the heightened risk of mechanical problems or crashes could take a leading contender out of contention or out of the race altogether – rather than being decided on strength and tactics, it increased the role of Lady Luck. The argument in favour draws on both the past and future of cycling. Prudhomme pointed out that some of the sport’s legends were making their mark before long before paved roads were the norm, while gravel as a modern discipline is the sport's major growth area.

The Tour de France has made obvious efforts in recent years to appeal to the social media generation, so it’s no surprise to see them jump on the gravel hype train. If nothing goes drastically wrong on stage 9 next July, we can expect to see them lean further into the drama and entertainment angle, with Tour routes veering further away from the traditional. This is part of the testing ground for how a Grand Tour could and should be designed.

As for the day itself, the luck factor will be impossible to predict but in purely racing terms there is plenty of time to be won and lost. Plugge may have underlined Vingegaard’s bike handling skills, but the Jumbo-Visma reaction doesn’t scream confidence, nor does that of Primož Roglič’s future team Bora-Hansgrohe, while Evenepoel will have flashbacks to his nightmare outing on the Tuscan gravel in the 2021 Giro. That’ll be music to the ears of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), a former winner of Strade Bianche and the reigning champion at the Tour of Flanders. He is, quite simply, a more rugged and rounded rider, and he will surely see this not as an obstacle but an opportunity.

However it falls, the sight of the yellow jersey and co. careering onto the gravel – a haze of dust in the dry, or a mudbath in the wet – will be compelling viewing. Even if nothing much happens, you’ll be holding your breath on the edge of your seat for each sector, but there’s every chance this could be one of the most dramatic days of the whole Tour.

Stage 15: A Bastille Day epic

July 14: Loudenvielle – Plateau de Beille, 198km

The profile for stage 15 of the 2024 Tour de France

Bastille Day, and as if the French fans needed any more incentive to get out there and scream their lungs out, we have a crazy day in the Pyrenees.

Let’s start with the stats: 198km, six climbs, 4850m elevation gain. It’s a big, big day and, what’s more, it comes hot on the heels of another big day. Stage 14 might not be quite as heavy, but it still goes over the Tourmalet, Hourquette d’Ancizan and up Pla d’Adet, meaning the legs will already be dulled for this epic.

It’s another summit finish, up at Plateau de Beille, but more on that later. The stage rips out of the traps, climbing the western flank of the Col de Peyresourde from the gun. The ascent from Loudenvielle measures 6.9km at 7.8% and the bunch is going to explode immediately. Breakaway artists will be on the move, pawns will be placed, lower-rung GC riders will be on the hunt, and we could even see a favourite or two looking to take advantage of the chaos. After the descent there are 20km in the valley but then the Col de Menté hits and it’s vicious (9.3km at 9.1%), followed straight away by the Portet d’Aspet (4.3km at 9.7%).

The valley roads in the middle of the stage should be where things settle back into some sort of pattern, but the shake-up will recommence on the Col d’Agnes (10km at 8.2%), and the short hop over to the Port de Lers. A descent and a short valley stretch then lead to the final climb to Plateau de Beille (15.8km at 7.9%), which didn’t see much action on its last appearance in 2015, but then again this is a harder stage in general. The first few kilometres are the hardest, averaging 9%, and it hangs mostly between 7-8% the rest of the way up. For such a long climb, the average gradient is high, and there’ll be guaranteed damage by the top.

The 2024 Tour route seems to have less of a penchant for super-steep climbs than previous years, with a return to more of the traditional steadier efforts, but this stage features the sharpest gradients of the whole Tour, and also the most elevation gain of a single stage. It’s set to be a defining day.

Stage 19: Up in the clouds

July 19: Embrun – Valloire, 145km

The profile for stage 19 of the 2024 Tour de France

Rivalling stage 15 for the honour of the race’s ‘queen stage’ is this trip down the eastern flank of the French Alps, and it offers a real contrast to its Pyrenean counterpart.

For starters, it’s shorter, by 53km, and it contains almost as much elevation gain. Although it doesn’t start uphill, it’s a more intense affair. Secondly, the climbs are less steep, but longer, the Col de Vars and Cime de la Bonette both around the 20km mark.

The most important factor – and the thing that truly sets this stage apart – is the altitude. 2000 metres has become a sort of mythical benchmark, often referred to as 'the barrier'. Above the barrier, things change as the paucity of oxygen dulling both the muscles and the senses. At that height, you can crack and never recover.

The Tour goes above 2000m on the Galibier on stage 4 and the Tourmalet on stage 14, but stage 19 is ‘the altitude stage’ of the 2024 Tour.

The Col de Vars takes us to 2109m with an 18.8km climb at an average gradient of 5.7% that’s heavily mitigated by a 3km plateau in the middle. It’s then over to the Cime de la Bonette, which, at an eye-watering 2802m, is one of the highest paved roads in Europe.

This is extreme altitude, and while the climb, measuring 22.2km at 6.9%, would be hard enough from seal level, half of it is above the 2000m barrier, where the riders will be toiling for more than half an hour.

The long descent to Isola sets us up for another vertical kilometre on the final climb to Isola 2000, which as the name suggests, punctures that 2000m barrier for a third time. It’s another long climb at 16km, and while it’s a steady traditional ski resort seven percent-er, the day’s exertions will start to take their toll.

It’s the sort of stage, heading into the clouds, where the idea of climbers ‘taking flight’ feels very apt indeed.

Stage 21: Drama til the last

July 21: Monaco – Nice, 34km (ITT)

The profile for stage 21 of the 2024 Tour de France

For the first time in the history of the Tour de France, the race will finish away from Paris, and for the first time since 1989, we’ll have a competitive final day.

Those memories from 35 years ago will only whet the appetite for this 35km time trial between Nice and Monaco. The final day of that 1989 edition, concluding with a time trial into Paris, is one of the most memorable day’s in the race’s rich tapestry, with a pioneeringly aerodynamic Greg LeMond snatching the yellow jersey from Laurent Fignon by a mere eight seconds – the tightest ever Tour.

The arrival of the peloton in Paris is, for many, symbolic. However, the champagne-fuelled procession is not to everyone’s taste, and those who prefer the last day of the race to be, well, a race, will delight in the 2024 finale on the Côte d’Azur.

Provided it’s not a complete walkover to that point, the yellow jersey will be in play until the very last metres and moments of the Tour de France.

If the yellow jersey is indeed in play, then even the flattest of time trials would be gripping, but this is a far more interesting route than most, heading into the hills behind Nice to provide an all-round test of climbing, descending, flat power, and also bike handling.

The route starts in Monaco and spends all of 3km on the flat before heading up La Turbie, a well-trodden training climb for the enclave of Principality-based pros. At 8.1km at 5.6%, it’s a solid climb but more of a steady, seated effort. It provides a link to the Col d’Eze, famous from Paris-Nice, so it’s not the full climb but a steep 1.6km kicker at the top, which is followed by a long, fast, sweeping descent into Nice for a flat final 6km.

It’s a stunning route, perched above the glistening blue waters of the Mediterranean, and it should balance things finely between the remaining yellow jersey contenders, coming down to who’s still firing after three weeks. That’s another part of the novelty; the 2024 Tour effectively has one extra day of ‘real’ racing, and this TT comes after two big summit finishes, and five mountain stages in the space of the previous seven days.

If it goes down to the wire, it will live long in the memory.

Tour de France

Dates 29 Jun - 21 Jul
Race Length 3,492 kms
Race Category Elite Men

Tour de France 2024 route revealed

The 2024 Tour de France will feature four summit finishes and two time trials, as well as a hilly start in Italy, gravel roads, and an unprecedented finale in Nice

Jonas Vingegaard at the presentation of the route for the 2024 Tour de France

Jonas Vingegaard rates Tour de France 2024 route 8/10

It's 'super hard' says defending champion, but he'd like it to be harder

from left to right: Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogačar, and Primož Roglič

Tour de France 2024: Analysing the contenders

After Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico, we take a look at the key potential protagonists and their prospects in the hunt for yellow

GCN unpacks the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes 2024 routes

Join Joe Timms as we go through the stages revealed by ASO ahead of the two Grandes Boucles next summer

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UCI MTB Eliminator World Cup - Paris

Uci mtb mairipora brazil, newnan rock & road criterium, tour of turkey, liege-bastogne-liege, liege-bastogne-liege femmes, tour de romandie, uci mtb eliminator world cup - barcelona, spartanburg regional healthcare crit, uci bmx racing world cup tulsa, athens orthopedic clinic twilight crit, la vuelta españa femenina, eschborn-frankfurt, uci mtb fort william, gp morbihan (coupe de france), what to know about tour de france stage 4 route, climbs, adam yates wears the yellow jersey in the tour de france as stage 4 begins on july 4. here's what to know the tour de france 2023 schedule..

After a dramatic finish in stage 3 as the sprinters took center stage of the 2023 Tour de France, cyclists take off from Dax on July 4 for the fourth day of the race.

Belgian cyclist Jasper Philipsen won stage 3, narrowly beating Phil Bauhaus and Caleb Ewan. While Philipsen won the stage, Adam Yates, who won stage 1, will wear the yellow jersey for the third straight day of the The Tour.

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Stage 4 begins in Dax and ends in Nogaro and is the first day the Tour is entirely in France after having started in Spain.

Here is everything you need to know about Stage 4 of the Tour de France.

2023 Tour de France

Tour de france stage 4 route.

Stage 4 of the Tour de France begins in Dax and ends in Nogaro for a total of 112.53 miles of flat terrain. The most significant part of this race is the finale which will be located on a motorsport track.

The route for Stage 4 is relatively light compared to what the riders have gone through so far. With the lack of difficult summits or hilly terrains, the riders can use this day to conserve some energy for later stages.

Cote de Demu Climb Tour de France

Cyclist will only face one summit in Stage 4.

The Cote de Demu appears 96.7 miles into the route and last about 1.3 miles at 3.5%.

Tour De France Results

Here is a complete recap of the Stage 3 Tour de France

Tour de France Stage 1 Results
Tour de France Stage 2 Results
Tour de France Stage 3 Results

You can also take a look at a complete list of the history of all Tour de France Winners here .

How To Watch Tour de France USA

A live broadcast will be available on NBC and Peacock. FloBikes will provide updates, highlights, and behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the entire event.

How To Watch Tour de France Canada

FloBikes will provide a live broadcast for Canadian audiences.

Tour de France 2023 Schedule

The Tour de France begins July 1 and finishes July 23 at the Champ-Elyees. The complete route is divided into 21 stages featuring different types of terrain and distance. Stages 1-3 are completed.

Here is the full Tour de France schedule

Tour de France Winners

Here are the Tour de France Winners of the past five years :

Year | Tour # - Winner | Country - Team

2022 | 109 - Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Team Jumbo–Visma
2021 | 108 - Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates
2020 | 107 - Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates
2019 | 106 - Egan Bernal | Colombia | Team Ineos (previously known as Sky)
2018 | 105 - Geraint Thomas | Great Britain | Team Sky

Here is a full list of the history of every Tour de France Winner

Tour de France Teams

UCI WorldTeams

AG2R Citroën Team | Fra
Alpecin Deceuninck | Bel
Astana Qazaqstan Team | Kaz
Bora-Hansgrohe | Ger
EF Education-Easypost | Usa
Groupama-FDJ | Fra
Ineos Grenadiers | Gbr
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty | Bel
Jumbo-Visma | Ned
Movistar Team | Esp
Soudal Quick-Step | Bel
Team Arkea-Samsic | Fra
Team Bahrain Victorious | Brn
Team Cofidis | Fra
Team DSM | Ned
Team Jayco AlUla | Aus
Trek-Segafredo | Usa
UAE Team Emirates | Uae

UCI ProTeams

Lotto Dstny | Bel
TotalEnergies | Fra
Israel-Premier Tech | Isr
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | Nor

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Tour de France 2023 stage 4 preview: Route map and profile of 182km from Dax to Nogaro

The sprinters will get another chance to go for glory at the 2023 Tour de France as Tuesday’s stage four offers a flat route and fast finish.

The 182km route begins in Dax, a small town in south-west France, before heading east across Landes to the region of Gers. There is an intermediate sprint in the middle of the stage for those hunting green jersey points, although it is unclear whether anyone in the peloton is dedicated to winning the points classification – the green jersey may well end up on the shoulders of whichever top sprinter makes it to Paris by default rather than design.

There is one categorised climb near the finish, the Cote de Demu (2km at 3.5%) and the latter half of the stage is a little lumpy, but not enought to deter any sprinters from reach the finish.

In Nagaro, the Circuit Paul Armagnac awaits. After stage three’s controversy – Jumbo-Visma were not impressed by the finish to the course in Bayonne, which contained a bend perilously close to the line – there will be no drama here. The riders will enter the circuit via narrow funnel with just over 2km remaining, and work their way around the track to the long home straight where they could well have a 700m drag race.

Of course there will be plenty of cat and mouse games to be played by the sprinters here. Can Alpecin-Deceuninck pull off another perfectly timed leadout train using Mathieu van der Poel to set up stage three winner Jasper Philipsen? Philipsen will certainly fancy his chances of winning another stage, but so too will Caleb Ewan , Dylan Groenewegen, Fabio Jakobsen and the other fast men in the peloton. Germany’s Phil Bauhaus finished second on stage three and showed his stage-winning potential.

British eyes will be on Mark Cavendish , who finished sixth in Bayonne and looked competitive. He is chasing a historic 35th stage win at the Tour de France , which would move him one clear of the great Eddy Merckx.

Cavendish has the racing nous to handle a shootout like this one but perhaps lacks the calibre of teammate that Philipsen can call upon, so the Manxman will need to be strategic and perhaps surf some wheels to get in position in the final 100m where he has been so devastating in the past.

For the general classification contenders like Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and the yellow jersey of Adam Yates, it is a day to stay out of trouble and keep the legs as fresh as possible before the Tour de France takes off for the high Pyrenees .

Stage 4 route map and profile

The stage is set to begin at around 12pm BST and is expected to finish at around 4.30pm BST.

A sprinter, but which one? Philipsen will fancy getting another stage under his belt but I fancy someone else this time. My heart says Mark Cavendish, but my head says Caleb Ewan .

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Tour de France

2024 tour de france route, dates, and details: packed with firsts and plot-twists, four summit finishes, two time trials, and 34km of gravel roads highlight a challenging and balanced route starting in italy and ending in nice..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

The Tour de France is eternal, but 2024 packs plenty of firsts and plot-twists to deliver what should be a thrilling edition.

Not only are big hitters such as Jonas Vingegaard , Tadej Pogačar , Primož Roglič , and Remco Evenepoel expected to clash in a generational battle, the 111th edition of the French grand tour will deliver an interesting backdrop.

Early details reveal a varied and interesting route:

3492km total
June 29 to July 21
Four territories (Italy, San Marino, France, Monte Carlo)
7 mountain stages
4 summit finishes
32km of gravel roads

With the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris dictating the calendar, the men’s Tour de France — which will runs from June 29 to July 21 — will not finish in Paris as the riders head for Nice for a final-day time trial.

“We were committed to avoid Paris because of the Olympics,” Tour director Christian Prudhomme told Reuters . “There are only 28,000 police forces available and we knew we could not get more.”

Since its inception in 1903, the men’s race has always finished in Paris or its surrounding suburbs, and it has concluded on the Champs Élysées since 1975.

Also in a first, the race will start in Italy with the three opening stages.

Here are the key points:

‘Big Start’ in Italy for historical first

After more than a century, the “big loop” will make its “Big Start” in Italy for the first time.

Stage 1 jumps right into it, with a road stage starting in Florence and ending in Rimini, with a detour through San Marino. The yellow jersey will be up for grabs, with sprinters like Mark Cavendish, Jasper Philipsen, and Wout van Aert will need to endure 3600m of climbing as the route climbs over the Apennines.

Stage 2 pays homage to Marco Pantani and runs from Cesenatico to Bologna will hit the famed San Luca climb in final hour of racing that could throw a spanner in the wheels of the sprinters.

Stage 3 runs across the flats from Piacenza to Torino in what is expected to be the first chance for the sprinters.

Week 1: Into France and up the Galibier

The race’s three-day sojourn ends with stage 4 from Pinerolo to Valloire grinds up and over the Alps, including an assault of the HC Col du Galibier (23km at 5.1%).

“The Tour has never been so high so soon,” said Tour director Christian Prudhomme.

Stages 5 and 6 will see the sprinters see more chances as the race leaves the Alps only to return in the final weekend.

Stage 7 delivers a 25km individual time trial across the vineyards of Burgundy. The rolling course isn’t too long, and the GC will remain knotted up for anyone who’s survived the brutal first week.

Stage 8 from Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises sees a string of climbs early in the undulating stages to set up a breakaway.

The opening week closes with a challenging stage featuring no less than 14 sectors of gravel on 34km of racing in a loop around Troyes.

Week 2: Pyrénées loom and a return of Plateau de Beille

Week 2 opens with a transition stage out of Orleans across the flats of central France and the Loire Valley that can be open to strong crosswinds.

Stage 11 dips into the Massif Central, with 4.350 of vertical gain, and the Néronne, the Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol, Pertus, and Font de Cère climbs stacked up late in the back half of the profile.

Stages 12 and 13 are, at least on paper, more chances for the sprinters, but midway into any Tour, breakaway chances increase by the kilometer.

The Tour’s first major mountaintop finale comes in stage 14 with Saint-Lary-Soulan deep in the Pyrénées, featuring the Col du Tourmalet midway through the stage.

Stage 15 sees a return to the Plateau de Beille (15.8km at 7.9%) in the Tour’s second-straight summit finale. Adding to the drama will be France’s Bastille Day, with six climbs and 4850m of vertical, fireworks are guaranteed.

Week 3: Alps and final-day TT decider

Despite a grueling opening two weeks, week three will crown the winner.

Stage 16 opens up the action in what’s likely another chance for the sprinters — who will see likely eight chances in this year’s edition — but the mistral heading into Nimes could prove tricky.

Stage 17 to Superdévoluy tiptoes into the Alps, and breakaway artists will have their chance to take centerstage with three moderate climbs stacked up in the final hour of racing. Another transition stage to Barcelonnette in stage 18 could deliver another breakaway.

Back-to-back summit finales high in the Alps will set up the decisive closing weekend anchored by the final-time trial in Nice, the first time the Tour’s ended in an individual time trial since 1989 when Greg LeMond overcame Laurent Fignon in his historic victory.

Altitude will be a key factor in both stages.

Stage 19 sees three summit higher than 2000m, and stage 20 tackles four climbs in a short, 133km circuit-burner ending atop Col de la Couillole. Vertical tops 7000m in two days of racing.

If the race remains undecided, the tension will be sky high in the “dernière bataille” in the 34km individual time trial up and over La Turbie and Col d’Eze climbs.

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Sprint | Notre-Dame des Cyclistes (93.6 km)

Points at finish, kom sprint (4) côte de dému (154.4 km), youth day classification, team day classification, race information.

Date: 04 July 2023
Start time: 13:20
Avg. speed winner: 41.09 km/h
Race category: ME - Men Elite
Distance: 181.8 km
Points scale: GT.A.Stage
UCI scale: UCI.WR.GT.A.Stage
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ProfileScore: 20
Vert. meters: 1427
Departure: Dax
Arrival: Nogaro
Race ranking: 1
Startlist quality score: 1584
Won how: Sprint of large group
Avg. temperature: 25 °C

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Tour de France stage 4 LIVE: Result as Wout van Aert makes solo charge to win in Calais

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The Tour de France 2022 is finally home after a three-day jaunt around Denmark and a rest day to transfer from Sunday’s finish in Sonderborg. QuickStep’s Yves Lampaert and Fabio Jakobsen won the opening two stages via an individual time trial and a sprint finish respectively, before BikeExchange’s Dylan Groenewegen edged a thrilling photo finish on the line to win stage 3 , ahead of the man in the yellow jersey Wout van Aert .

Stage 4 sees the peloton arrive in northern France to take on a 171.5km route from Dunkirk to Calais, via a series of category four climbs inland. Given the lack of opportunities for sprinters in the days ahead, this seems like an opportunity not to be missed for the likes of Jakobsen, Groenewegen and Van Aert to continue their impressive starts to the Tour, while others like Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Felix) and Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) will be keen to get their name up in lights after an under-the-radar few days.

The categorised climbs offer King of the Mountains points which so far have been eaten up by Danish rider Magnus Cort Nielsen in his home country, and he continues in the polka dots today. Jakobsen wears green because Van Aert – wearing yellow – is the only rider above him in the points category, while reigning champion Tadej Pogacar wears the best young riders’ white jersey today.

Follow all the latest updates from stage 4 of the Tour de France below.

Tour de France stage 4

Peloton in northern France for 171.5km route from Dunkirk

Wout van Aert surges away to solo victory in Calais

Wout van Aert wins Stage 4 of the Tour de France!

16:39 , Michael Jones

Wout van Aert came home, 15 seconds ahead of the rest of the peloton. He spoke after the race and says that the move up the climb was a pre-planned move from Jumbo-Visma.

They executed it perfectly.

🏆🇧🇪 @WoutvanAert flies to victory! 💛 🏆🇧🇪 @WoutvanAert vole jusqu’à la victoire ! 💛 #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/DvQogMEgve — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 5, 2022

16:37 , Michael Jones

It’s a seventh Tour de France win for Wout van Aert. Jasper Philipsen takes second with a decent sprint to the line but he’s quite a way behind the Tour leader.

Here’s the top five rider from Stage 4:

1. Wout van Aert

2. Jasper Philipsen

3. Christophe Laporte

4. Alexander Kristoff

5. Peter Sagan

16:32 , Michael Jones

They can’t catch him. What a ride from the Yellow Jersey holder!

Wout van Aert comes home in first place to take the stage. Three runners-up places and now a stage win for the Belgian.

16:31 , Michael Jones

Caleb Ewan, Fabio Jakobsen and Dylan Groenewegen are all in the chasing pack and they’re eking away at Van Aert’s lead. It’s down to 20 seconds with 1.5km to go.

The Jumbo-Visma team are doing their best to disrupt the rest of the riders. They want Wout van Aert to get home.

16:28 , Michael Jones

4km to go with Wout van Aert out in front with a 26 second lead. He’s had three second place finishes in the opening three stages but he looks like he may go one better today.

The gap remains steady, I don’t think he’s going to be caught.

16:24 , Michael Jones

Wout van Aert is going for it on his own. His teammates have helped him out and the yellow jersey leader is slowing opening up a lead.

He’s 20 seconds in front of the nearest rivals. 7km to go.

16:22 , Michael Jones

Anthony Perez hits the base of the final climb the Cote du Cap Blanc-Nez with an 11 second lead.

Jumbo-Visma make their move as a team and reign in the breakaway leader before Wout van Aert takes the lead. He crosses the peak in first position.

There’s 10km to go and the peloton has started to split. What a moved from Jumbo-Visma.

16:10 , Michael Jones

20km left in Stage 4, 10km away from the final climb. Anthony Perez has a 34 second lead and he’s giving it his all as the sole member of the breakaway left.

There’s going to be a big fight in the build-up to the final climb, then another after the peak in order to find the perfect positions for the sprint.

Jumbo-Visma are set up well, they’re at the front of the peloton on the left-hand side. Yellow jersey wearer Wout van Aert is right in the mix with them.

The race is set up nicely for a bombastic finish.

16:01 , Michael Jones

Anthony Perez is doing a fine job of staying out in front of the peloton but his lead is only just above one minute with a long 27km to go.

The road continues to dip and rise which will take some sting out the riders as they approach the final sections of Stage 4.

🔥 Things are heating up at the front of the peloton, with the gap at just over 1' with 30km to go 🔥 La course s'anime en tête de peloton ! L'homme de tête n'a plus que 1' d'avance. #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/Mp2p18aZDE — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 5, 2022

15:53 , Michael Jones

Tension is starting to build in the peloton as the riders push on to the front of the field trying to get the best position on the road ahead of the final climb.

There’s 31km to go.

15:47 , Michael Jones

An incredible run from the two breakaway riders. It lasted until 40km from the end before Magnus Cort drops back to join his EF Education-Easy Post team-mates, who hand him a few gels and drinks and praise him for a job well done.

36km to go. Perez’s lead is still hovering around the one minute 20 second mark.

15:41 , Michael Jones

Anthony Perez is going to give it a go. There’s 40km to go which is about a hour’s worth of riding, if not slightly more. He’s keeping his pace up on the snaking road to Calais.

15:37 , Michael Jones

With 44km left in the stage, Magnus Cort calls it a day in the breakaway pairing. He’s taken the points from all five category climbs so far but slows off his pace and allows himself to drop back to the peloton.

This is an energy saving tactic from the Dane who may have one eye on challenging tomorrow.

Anthony Perez stays out in front. He’s got a gap of one minute 20 seconds with 43km to go.

15:34 , Michael Jones

There’s more undulation as the peloton lurches up and down the climbs and descents in between the category-four climbs.

Magnus Cort crested the côte du Ventus in first position for a maximum total of 11 KOM points and remains unbeaten in the climbs for in the 109th Tour de France.

15:27 , Michael Jones

The Eurosport commentary team is expecting the peloton to split close to the base of the final climb the Cote du Cap Blanc-Nez which is a view shared but regional rider Adrien Petit.

“The approach to the final climb is very rapid, near the edge of the cliffs”, the Intermarché rider said this morning. “We won’t need much wind there to make a difference.

“The climb itself isn’t easy, we’ll be pretty much at a standstill at the foot of it. It’s barely even a kilometre, but it’s at 9 per cent and it’s quite exposed up at the top. There could be splits, we’ll see how it goes.”

15:22 , Michael Jones

The peloton is racing into a headwind now which causes the riders to bunch up and utilise the slipstreams for an easier ride. Alpecin and Lotto-Soudal riders are leading the charge at the front, setting the pace.

This is a relatively flat part of the stage with the riders making their way north back towards the coast.

One minute 40 seconds to catch the leaders. 52km to go.

15:16 , Michael Jones

15:10 , Michael Jones

There’s just under 15km to go until the next climb and if the peloton maintains this pace they could catch Cort and Perez before they reach it.

60km to go and the gap is down to just over two minutes.

15:02 , Michael Jones

With 68km left in Stage 4 the riders have covered 500km in the 2022 version of the Tour de France. Just the 2,800km left to go.

The gap between the peloton and the breakaway is now just two minutes 23 seconds. The leading pair will eventually be reigned in, it’s only a matter of when now.

🏁 67KM The peloton have sped up and the lead duo have a lead of only 2'30"! Le peloton réagit et se rapproche de l'échappée ! Le duo de tête n'a plus que 2'30" d'avance ! #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/6nVPXh4FFn — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 5, 2022

15:00 , Michael Jones

Cort and Perez reach the peak of Cote de Harlettes with Magnus taking the win once again. 10 KOM points from 10 climbs from him now.

There seems to be an accord between the two riders. They’re not racing for the finish lines anymore with Perez seemingly happy for Cort to keep picking up these points.

14:51 , Michael Jones

Meanwhile, the peloton has reached the base of the climb and have sliced the time gap on the leaders to just four minutes and 16 seconds.

Lotto-Soudal are setting the pace for the rest of the bunch.

73km to go.

14:49 , Michael Jones

500m to go in the climb and Magnus Cort leads Anthony Perez. He keeps glancing back at his rival, to give himself an idea of when to make a run for the line.

300m left and Cort has slipped back. Both riders keep leapfrogging each other.

100m to go. There’s no battle between the riders as Cort squeezes back in front and takes the victory.

He’s won all nine climbs so far in the Tour de France.

14:45 , Michael Jones

Bradley Wiggins believes the peloton is starting to panic as the wind picks up. He says that the teams will begins to manoeuvre for position near the front of the field.

Cort and Perez are approaching the first to two back-to-back climbs. This one is the Cote de Nielles-Les-Blequin and is 1.2km with a gradient of 7.7%.

That in itself isn’t too tasking but the sharp run in to the second climb at Cote de Harlettes makes it more difficult for the riders.

14:39 , Michael Jones

Belgian team Lotto-Soudal ups the tempo at front of the peloton with Alpecin-Deceuninck helping out. They’ve cut the gap on the breakaway pair to six minutes.

Magnus Cort and Anthony Perez are travelling well and the commentary team on Eurosport are starting to talk about them potentially winning the stage.

There’s such a long way to go though, 80km and their lead is continuously slipping away as the peloton ups the ante.

14:34 , Michael Jones

14:25 , Michael Jones

88km to go with Perez and Cort having reached the southern-most tip of the stage. They’re now heading west into a light cross-wind before turning north into a headwind towards the coast and Calais.

The gap between them and the peloton is seven minutes 10 seconds.

14:21 , Michael Jones

Magnus Cort Nielsen is the first rider to win the first eight consecutive KOM points in the Tour de France. One more and his tally will be out of reach until stage 7.

There are still four climbs to compete today.

Tour de France stage 4: Intermediate sprint results

14:15 , Michael Jones

1. Anthony Perez, 20 pts

2. Magnus Cort, 17 pts

3. Fabio Jakobsen, 15 pts

4. Wout van Aert, 13 pts

5. Michael Morkov, 11 pts

6. Peter Sagan, 10 pts

7. Christophe Laporte, 9 pts

8. Caleb Ewan, 8 pts

9. Brent Van Moer, 7 pts

10. Florian Vermeersch, 6 pts

11. Daniel Oss, 5 pts

12. Tim Wellens, 4 pts

13. Nils Politt, 3 pts

14. Maciej Bodnar, 2 pts

15. Tadej Pogacar, 1 pt

14:14 , Michael Jones

Fabio Jakobsen’s earlier third place in the sprint means he’s chipped away at Wout van Aert’s lead in the green jersey competition. Jakobsen is of course wearing the green jersey today due to Van Aert also leading the GC and being donned out in the yellow jersey.

Van Aert now leads the sprint contest by just 15 points.

14:11 , Michael Jones

Eight points and counting for Magnus Cort Nielsen! He positions himself on the wheel of Anthony Perez before moving ahead of the Frenchman with just under 200m to go.

He crosses the line first and takes his eighth KOM victory in a row.

14:09 , Michael Jones

6 minutes 49 seconds ahead, Magnus Cort and Anthony Perez have reached the second climb. It’s 1.2km with a 6.9% gradient.

14:06 , Michael Jones

Wout Van Aert and Fabio Jakobsen are the main two to get involved in the intermediate sprint. Peter Sagan can’t slot in behind the green jersey holder who puts on the burners and takes the win in this mini battle with Van Aert close behind him.

It’s wasn’t the most thrilling of sprints but Jakobsen will be pleased with his effort.

13:58 , Michael Jones

The leading duo reach the intermediate sprint stage at 108km to go and Anthony Perez crosses the line ahead of Magnus Cort to take the full 20 points. Cort collects 17.

The peloton is almost seven minutes behind the breakaway so there’s a few minutes wait until the sprinters fight for the remaining points.

There’s no jostling for position at the front of the pack just yet though.

13:54 , Michael Jones

Philippe Gilbert turns 40 today and he spoke to TV reporters before the start of the race saying that he would never have believed he would be racing in the Tour de France this year.

“No! It’s very nice. If you’d told me 10 years ago, I would never have believed it, but I’m here today and it’s very nice.” he said, “Today it’s a tough stage. There’s quite a bit of wind here at the start line. I don’t think it will be as strong towards the finish, but the wind could play a big role today.”

13:49 , Michael Jones

Magnus Cort and Anthony Perez have once again opened up a lead of over six minutes to the peloton. The earlier split in the peloton after Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s attack has been rectified and the pack is back together.

114km to go and about 5km until the intermediate sprint. Cort and Perez will take the first two places but there are still points on offer for the peloton sprinters who fancy it.

13:43 , Michael Jones

13:37 , Michael Jones

“I think it will be hectic in the bunch, probably similar to the days in Denmark.” said Magnus Cort before the start of Stage 4, “That’s what I expect, stressful in the bunch. But maybe a bit boring to watch. And then a hard final.

“My main ambition is to get a few points, therefore I’ll try to go in the break again.”

I think he may have nailed this prediction.

13:33 , Michael Jones

A little earlier in the race, Magnus Cort takes his seventh KOM point of the Tour.

⛰ First taste of cobbles for the #TDF2022 riders, as @MagnusCort scores one more KOM point at the côte de Cassel. ⚪🔴 ⛰ Un avant-goût des pavés pour les coureurs du #TDF2022 dans la côte de Cassel où @MagnusCort passe en tête. ⚪🔴 pic.twitter.com/vtuZ3MBdwr — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 5, 2022

13:30 , Michael Jones

Quick-Step’s acceleration has actually split the peloton. There are 20 seconds between the main group and a group of stragglers including Mathieu van der Poel, Guillaume Martin and Thibaut Pinot.

They should catch the main pack as the pace has settled down again.

126km to go.

13:24 , Michael Jones

The riders seem relatively nervous today in the face of the first cross-winds of the Tour, the first cobbles after a changeover day from Denmark and most of the the contenders will be trying to safely negotiate the hazards whilst leaving the finish to the sprinters.

Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl have properly stretched the peloton with their blistering pace. It’s not quite enough to cause a split and the pack bunches back together.

The gap on the two leaders is reduced to three minutes 39 seconds.

13:19 , Michael Jones

The peloton passes over the cobbled climb with Andrea Bagioli and Mattia Cattaneo of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl leading the way at the front.

The pair have helped reduced the gap on the breakaway to 4 minutes 40 seconds.

There’s around 30km to go until the next challenge, an intermediate sprint.

13:17 , Michael Jones

Magnus Cort has a seven point lead in the KOM contest and there are five climbs left in Stage 4. That means he’s mathematically assured to keep hold of the polka-dot jersey for tomorrow.

13:15 , Michael Jones

What a contest! Magnus Cort and Anthony Perez give each other a fright as they set off for the line with around 300m to go. Perez starts to print for the line but Cort edges in front of Frenchman and opens up a bit of a lead.

He glances back and accelerates to stay in front. The KOM leader crosses the Cote de Cassel barrier in first place and takes another point to add to his tally.

That was a testing sprint early on here. Very entertaining.

13:11 , Michael Jones

The Cote de Cassel is a 1.3km climb with a 4.2% gradient. It’s a cobbled road which makes for slightly more uncomfortable riding. It would have been a lot trickier if this terrain was at the back half of the stage.

There are more cobbles tomorrow so the riders will get a taste of what’s in store.

13:08 , Michael Jones

Quick-step Alpha Vinyl have moved to the front of the peloton and have chipped away at the gap on the breakaway riders, it’s a little over six minutes now.

Anthony Perez and Magnus Cort are respectively 161st and 171st on the General Classification (out of 176) but they’re leading the way in Stage 4 and are approaching the first category-four climb.

About 2.5km to go until they reach it.

13:03 , Michael Jones

The isn’t a great deal of movement from the peloton to cut that gap to the leading dup of Magnus Cort and Anthony Perez. None of the teams want to set the pace at the front of the peloton.

147km to go, the gap is six minutes 30 seconds.

12:56 , Michael Jones

The first of the six climbs today is called the Cote de Cassel.

The last time the Tour de France passed the cobbled climb of Cassel was eight years ago which will also be the location of the French national championship in June next year.

The leaders are around 10km away from the start of the climb with the peloton already more than six minutes behind them.

12:47 , Michael Jones

The breakaway from Magnus Cort and Anthony Perez is up to 4 minutes 30 seconds ahead of the peloton. There are six category-four climbs during this ride from Dunkerque to Calais and Cort will be looking to add to his six KOM wins in Denmark.

160km to go.

Tour de France stage 3 recap

12:46 , Lawrence Ostlere

After Fabio Jakobsen claimed an emotional stage victory on Saturday to complete his comeback from the life-threatening injuries he suffered at the Tour of Poland in 2020, Sunday was the turn of the rider he collided with two years ago.

Groenewegen did not face the physical recovery Jakobsen did from that incident, but had spoken of the mental scars after he faced death threats and abuse in its wake - with the Dutchman also handed a nine-month ban by world governing body the UCI.

“It was a long way (back),” Groenewegen said. “I want to say thank you to my team and my family and friends for getting me back to the Tour in good shape. It’s beautiful.

“Not physically but mentally it’s been a hard time of course after all that happened. This is for my wife and my son, it means a lot.”

Groenewegen said he had been held up in a late crash that split the peloton a little over 10km from the line, though he was in the right place when it mattered.

“Yesterday I was a little bit angry with myself but today, though I was a long time boxed in and involved in a crash with nine kilometres to go, my team brought me back into position and I stayed calm to the end,” he added.

Dylan Groenewegen edges photo finish to win stage 3 after late crash

12:40 , Lawrence Ostlere

170km to go: Stage 4 is officially under way, and the attacks begin! The man in the polka dots, Magnus Cort (EF Education), charges off looking to sweep up more King of the Mountains points over the category four climbs that pepper this stage, and he’s joined by France’s Anthony Perez (Cofidis).

General classification before stage 4

12:39 , Lawrence Ostlere

Wout van Aert, who finished second in all three stages over the weekend, is in yellow today.

Here’s the top 10 after three stages:

Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 9hr 1min 17sec

Lampaert (QuickStep) +7 sec

Pogacar (UAE Emirates) +14

Pedersen (Trek-Seg) +18

Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +20

Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) +22

Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +23

Yates (Ineos) +30

Kung (FDJ) +30

Pidcock (Ineos) +31

12:33 , Lawrence Ostlere

A hilarious moment on Eurosport’s coverage a moment ago as motorbike-based analyst Bradley Wiggins greets Wout van Aert riding past him wearing the yellow jersey.

“This is the race leader looking resplendent in his yellow jersey, what a class act here he is,” Wiggins tells the camera, before turning to Van Aert. “Morning Wout, how are you? You looking f*****g... oh I nearly swore then, I’m live. You look class. Sorry about that. It’s hard to say what I feel about Wout without swearing but I managed to just pull the reins back on that one.”

No, no you didn’t.

12:24 , Lawrence Ostlere

The riders are on their bikes as they ride towards the official start of stage 4 in Dunkirk.

12:19 , Lawrence Ostlere

A minute’s silence at the start of the day following the horrific shooting in Copenhagen which left at least three people dead on Sunday.

Tour organisers ASO issued a statement expressing “sympathy and compassion” for the victims.

“The Tour is extremely shocked and saddened to hear of what has happened in Copenhagen,” the statement added.

“The people of Copenhagen had given the peloton one of the greatest welcomes in the sport’s history, forging deep bonds with all its followers. The entire caravan of the Tour de France sends its sincerest condolences to the victims and their families.”

🇩🇰 A touching moment as the 10 Danish riders of the peloton join the public and the rest of the riders in a minute's applause after the events of Sunday night ❤️ 🇩🇰 Le peloton du Tour de France rend hommage aux victimes de Copenhague avec une minute de silence ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fy0qkKh9bn — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 5, 2022

12:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

Having finished second in all three of the Danish stages which opened this Tour de France, might Wout van Aert win wearing yellow today?

With his impressive consistency in the first 3 stages of #TDF2022 , @WoutvanAert is a hot favourite to win in Calais #TDFdata pic.twitter.com/x9CaU51UyF — letourdata (@letourdata) July 5, 2022

🎙💛 @WoutvanAert “It’s amazing to wear the yellow jersey in France, I ll do everything to defend it as long as I can !" #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/OoHyExnfX5 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 5, 2022

Tadej Pogacar interview: ‘There will be a moment when I will have a s**t year ... I need to be prepared'

11:56 , Lawrence Ostlere

An interview with the man going for Tour de France No3:

In Monaco, Tadej Pogacar blends into the city. He walks invisibly through the streets and potters freely around his local supermarket. Even in his favourite bike shop, the best cyclist in the world queues among the muggles without being disturbed. “I like to go inside and see what’s new, and of course I don’t mind if there’s customers in front of me, it’s normal,” he says.

By all measures a double Tour de France champion should be one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet, a bonafide global superstar unable to walk through a hotel lobby without dark glasses and an entourage, but somehow Pogacar has not yet transcended the sport. One suspects if he was from cycling’s European heartlands or the US with a name that rolled off the tongue, his profile might be a little different. His “TP” brand with an eagle motif and a “never give up” tagline is yet to take off quite like Roger Federer or Tiger Woods.

But understated and low-key is how Pogacar approaches life and cycling, just riding for the joy of it, an ethos which has brought rich rewards so far. After winning back-to-back Tours de France, an historic third next month would set him firmly on course to becoming one of cycling’s all-time greats, and what makes it all possible is just how little he is driven by his own sporting legacy. “For me that’s not something that I would enjoy after [my career] too much and brag about it. I work hard to win a lot of races, but for me the priority is just to be a good friend to my friends and have good relations with the people I want in my life.”

Tadej Pogacar: The invisible champion out to win historic third Tour de France

Route map and profile as sprinters eye chance after rest day

11:50 , Lawrence Ostlere

Today’s stage preview, as the Tour de France resumes following its jaunt to Denmark with a 171.5km ride finishing along the northern coastline:

Sprinters eye chance on stage 4 as Tour de France returns from rest day

11:39 , Lawrence Ostlere

The cobbles of stage five loom large on the agenda after the Tour de France returned home from a spectacular Grand Depart in Denmark.

Riders enjoyed an unusually early rest day on Monday – included to allow for the transfer back to northern France – with riders flying into Lille following Sunday’s stage to Sonderborg.

Though a hilly race between Dunkerque and Calais is next up on Tuesday, it is Wednesday’s stage between Lille and Arenberg which is already on the minds of several riders.

Full story:

Tour de France leader Wout van Aert ready for ‘really demanding’ stages

11:31 , Lawrence Ostlere

Denmark treated the Tour to spectacular scenery and huge crowds over the weekend, but riders landed in northern France to learn of the horrific shooting in Copenhagen which left at least three people dead on Sunday.

11:25 , Lawrence Ostlere

Van Aert is on double duty in this year’s Tour, targeting the green jersey in the points classification while working to help Jumbo-Visma team-mate Roglic unseat UAE Team Emirates’ two-time defending champion Pogacar in the fight for yellow.

The fact Van Aert dons yellow after three days, while also leading the points classification, is down to him finishing second in all three stages so far – something he said was “not funny anymore”.

“I have to be really happy with this position,” he added. “I dreamed for a long time to wear the yellow jersey and we are doing good things for green as well which has been a big goal all season. Everything is good but I like to win races so if I come close like I did in the last couple of days sometimes it is with mixed feelings.”

Van Aert must watch his step in the coming days after he was fined for littering on Sunday. A second offence would carry a one-minute penalty.

11:18 , Lawrence Ostlere

Wednesday’s stage will take riders into territory more usually associated with Paris-Roubaix and the brutal cobbles which make the ‘Hell of the North’ one of the most feared races on the calendar.

The Tour will steer clear of the most famous sectors from that race and seek out new territory, finishing in Arenberg but bypassing its eponymous trench, but that only adds an element of the unknown.

For the likes of Thomas, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic – those with ambitions of wearing yellow in Paris in three weeks’ time – it is a day to endure and survive, where no winning moves can be made but the Tour could certainly be lost to injury or incident.

But for the man currently in yellow, Wout van Aert , it is a day when he could well take stage honours, considered one of the main favourites for the day along with Mathieu Van der Poel.

“I think what’s coming will be really demanding after the rest day,” the Belgian said. “Every stage has tricky parts, something special like the cobbles. I’m looking forward to it.”

11:12 , Lawrence Ostlere

Riders enjoyed an unusually early rest day on Monday – included to allow for the transfer back to northern France – with riders flying into Lille following Sunday’s stage to Sonderborg. Though a hilly race between Dunkerque and Calais is next up on Tuesday, it is Wednesday’s stage between Lille and Arenberg which is already on the minds of several riders.

“Wednesday will be a big day on the cobbles,” said the Ineos Grenadiers’ Geraint Thomas . “We’ve got to rest up, enjoy the rest day and then get back into it. You kind of get into the rhythm of (the race), you want to keep going so you don’t want to have to travel and have this rest day.”

Tour de France stage 4 profile

11:11 , Lawrence Ostlere

And today’s stage profile, which contains several category 4 climbs – enough for a breakaway to attack but not enough to deter the sprinters from getting involved at the finish, you would think:

Tour de France stage 4 map

11:08 , Lawrence Ostlere

A look at the route map today as the riders travel south from Dunkirk and across to Calais:

Tour de France jerseys explained

11:04 , Lawrence Ostlere

The 2022 Tour de France sees 176 riders compete for the famous yellow jersey or maillot jaune which rewards the overall winner of the race.

While the yellow jersey, won in 2020 and 2021 by Slovenian prodigy Tadej Pogacar , is the most famous and prestigious of them all, there are three other colours to look out for in the peloton taking on this year’s Tour de France route.

The meaning behind each Tour de France coloured jersey

Tour de France 2022 stage-by-stage guide

10:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

The 2022 Tour de France begins in Copenhagen on Friday 1 July and finishes in Paris on Sunday 24 July, where Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar hopes to be wearing yellow and be crowned champion for the third year in a row.

Standing in his way is the sheer strength and depth of Dutch team Jumbo-Visma , who carry multiple threats including Pogacar’s national teammate Primoz Roglic and last year’s Tour runner-up, Jonas Vingegaard. Ineos Grenadiers are without their leading light Egan Bernal, the 2019 champion who is still recovering from injury, but they do have the in-form Geraint Thomas fresh from winning the Tour de Suisse, as well as potential stage winners Adam Yates and Tom Pidcock.

Here is a stage-by-stage look at this year’s route.

How to watch stage 4 on TV and online

10:39 , Lawrence Ostlere

The stage is scheduled to begin at around 12:15pm BST and should finish around 4:15pm BST.

Tour de France coverage can be found this year on ITV4, Eurosport, Discovery+ and GCN+ (Global Cycling Network).

Live racing each day will be shown on ITV4 before highlights typically at 7pm each day. ITV’s website lists timings here .

Eurosport and GCN+ will show every minute of every stage. More on Eurosport’s coverage here and the GCN+ coverage here .

It is also being shown on Eurosport’s Discovery+ streaming service, with broadcast info here .

10:32 , Lawrence Ostlere

The rest day will allow the sprinters to regather their strength and if they can keep up with the breakaway and deal with any strong winds that could become a factor late in the afternoon.

The first climb on Cote de Cassel will feature cobbles while the Cote de Cap Blanc-Nez poses the final question with around 10km to go, with another big sprint expected on the opening French stage of this year’s race.

Stage 3 report

10:22 , Lawrence Ostlere

Dylan Groenewegen won an eventful stage three as the Danish Grand Depart came to an end in Sonderborg. Groenewegen narrowly beat yellow jersey wearer Wout van Aert , Jasper Philipsen and Peter Sagan on the 182km stage from Vejle and it could be a similar story as the Tour returns to its home country on stage four.

10:10 , Lawrence Ostlere

The Tour de France returns following a rest day and its trip to Denmark with a 171.5km ride between Dunkirk and Calais in the northern part of the country. While stage four will start and finish on the coast, the route heads inland and will feature five category four climbs to offer opportunities for those competing for the polka dot jersey.

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Chris Froome: Another Tour de France stage win would be an 'amazing' way to end glittering career

Published 10/04/2024 at 10:20 GMT

Chris Froome was once the dominant force at the Tour de France, but after suffering serious injuries in a crash at the Criterium du Dauphine in 2019, his objectives have changed. Now 38, Froome has spoken about wanting to ride until he is 40 and also his hope to win another stage at the Tour de France. He has also given his thoughts on the "very impressive" Tadej Pogacar.

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Tour de France 2022 - Stage 4 preview

July 5, 2022: Dunkerque to Calais, 172km

Stage 4: Dunkerque to Calais

Date : July 5, 2022

Distance : 172km

Stage timing : 13:15 - 17:15 CEST

Stage type: Hilly

After a rest day and a transfer to Northern France , the Tour de France is back in its home country for stage 4. Though starting and finishing on the North Sea coast, the stage from Dunkerque to Calais mainly takes place inland. Six classified climbs will give the breakaway something to fight for and could see the polka-dot jersey change hands at the end of the day. The stage begins and ends at sea level but is characterised by barely any flat terrain at all, beyond the first 30km and final 10km. The peloton heads south from Dunkirk inland and there is an air of the spring classics about the first part of the route as it takes place in French Flanders. The first climb, the Côte de Cassel, is cobbled; the other climbs are on asphalt roads. It comes after just 30km and if the breakaway is not settled by this point, it could provide the ideal launching pad for any rider with an eye on escaping the bunch.

From there, the route turns west. There is an intermediate sprint at 63.2km which offers points for the green jersey contenders, as the race heads into an undulating section featuring four category four climbs within the space of just over 50km. The toughest of these is the Côte de Nielles-lès-Bléquin - 1.1km of climbing at an average gradient of 7%.

If raced at a high pace, this series of climbs in quick succession could see some of the pure sprinters dropped in favour of the punchier, classics-style sprinters - think Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Peter Sagan (Team Total Energies) and Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo).

With 24km to go, the race reaches the uncategorised Côte d’Opale on the Channel coast. The Côte de Cap Blanc-Nez is the final difficulty on the way to Calais, cresting with 10.8km to go. This might be enough time for the bunch to come back together before the finish line, given the final 10km is basically flat, but the prevailing southwesterly winds would mean a tailwind to the finish which might help the breakaway.

Another possibility is a slight change in wind direction which could bring tail-crosswinds that would wreak havoc in the peloton and create gaps among the GC contenders, whose teams will need to fight to keep their leaders in contention. Despite all that, another big sprint is the most likely outcome.

The contenders for the stage, should it go to a sprint finish, will be the same riders who have contested the last two stages. Fabio Jakobsen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) and Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) have won a sprint apiece, with Wout van Aert second on both occasions. Peter Sagan has been in the mix too, looking back to his belligerent best.

Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) has been missing from the action in the final few hundred metres for the past two days and will be looking to rectify that, as will Mads Pedersen. The Dane failed to make an impact on home soil and will be in the hunt, along with Alpecin-Fenix' Jasper Philipsen who also left Denmark empty-handed.

Alberto Dainese (Team DSM), Danny van Poppel (Bora-Hansgrohe), Hugo Hofstetter (Arkea-Samsic), Alexander Kristoff (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) and Max Walscheid (Cofidis) all represent decent outside chances, and could cause an upset for the favourites, should the probably bunch sprint materialise.

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Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.

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6 Reasons to Be Psyched About the 2024 Giro d’Italia

With an aggressive opening weekend, the return of Mortirolo, and chances for sprint battles, this year’s Giro will keep fans on the edge of their seats.

The route of the 2024 Giro was revealed last October, but it was quickly overshadowed by the announcement of the route for the 2024 Tour de France . That’s a typical issue for the Italian grand tour, a race that always seems to be fighting to emerge from its French cousin’s shadow.

But it shouldn’t be: the Giro is a fantastic event in its own right, a race that offers stunning scenery and aggressive racing, and often gives us a chance to see other riders steal the limelight. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be getting you ready for the Giro’s 107th edition, starting with six reasons why we’re excited about this year’s race.

1. An Aggressive Opening Weekend

Once upon a time, the opening weekend of a grand tour was more about fanfare than competition, often with a short individual time trial (usually called a “Prologue”) followed by a flat stage ending in a field sprint. In other words: stages that had little bearing on the race overall.

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Don’t get us wrong: it can be fun to watch time trial specialists square off against GC contenders in a short ITT to determine the first rider to pull on a grand tour leader’s jersey. And who doesn’t love a good field sprint? But we want to see racing , with stages that don’t allow the overall contenders to hide in the bunch, stages like the two Basque stages at the beginning of last year’s Tour de France.

Well, this year’s Giro seems to have taken a page out of last year’s Tour de France racebook, with a 143-kilometer opening stage from Venaria Reale to Turin that brings the riders over three categorized climbs, including the Category 2 Colle de Maddalena less than 25 km from the finish line—which the riders will hit just a few kilometers after cresting a punchy, uncategorized ascent just outside the city. Expect an exciting race to win the Giro’s first maglia rosa (the “pink jersey” awarded each day to the Giro’s overall leader), but time gaps that won’t kill anyone’s GC hopes on the first day of the race.

The next day could be a different story though, when a 161-kilometer stage from San Francesco al Campo to the Santuario di Oropa ends with the Giro’s first summit finish, an 11.8-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 6.2 percent. The ascent to Oropa is this year’s “Cima Pantani,” an ascent designated to honor Marco Pantani , the deceased Italian superstar who famously won a stage here in 1999.

This isn’t the hardest climb in the Giro by any means, but given that it’s only Stage 2, it will start shuffling the general classification. And given one of the riders expected to be competing this year (more on that later), this could prove to be an especially impactful opening weekend.

2. Reasonable Stage Lengths

In recent years, riders have become increasingly critical of the Giro’s organizers for including too many long stages—and even longer transfers from the finish of one stage to the start of another (which means riders are on buses for sometimes two to three hours before getting to their hotels at the end of the day). That might not seem like a big deal for fans watching the race from the comfort of their couches, but how do you like it when your boss extends your workday without considering you first? What if the length of your commute was suddenly doubled or tripled?

Well, the organizers listened, and this is the shortest Giro in years, with an average stage length that’s 12.5 km shorter than it was five years ago. Even better, there are fewer super-long stages. For example, in 2019, there were eleven stages over 190 km, and eight of them went over 200 km. This year’s race has just four stages over 190 km and only one of them comes during the Giro’s final week, which is traditionally the hardest of the race.

That’s great for the riders, but it’s also a boon for fans, who have annually been “treated” to at least one or two Giro stages in which a large breakaway gets a huge lead on an otherwise disinterested peloton—or worse, stages in which the entire peloton decides to ride piano until the final hour, at which point they wind things up for an eventual field sprint. Stages like these are the cycling equivalent of watching paint dry.

Shorter stages produce more aggressive racing, and shorter transfers mean happier, better-recovered riders—which also means better racing. With shorter stages and more reasonable transfers, we’re expecting this to be one of the most exciting Giros–from start to finish–in years.

3. A Surprising Feast for Sprinters

A race known more for its mountains, the Giro rarely attracts large numbers of sprinters—at least not as many as the Tour de France usually does. But with eight stages expected to end in field sprints this year—and a particularly mountainous route at the Tour de France—the 2024 Giro d’Italia is shaping up to be one of the more sprint- and sprinter-heavy grand tours in the past few years.

Here’s an early look at the list of sprinters expected to take the start in Torino: Italy’s Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek); Belgium’s Tim Merlier (Soudal–Quick Step) and Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty); Dutch sprinters Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Fabio Jakobsen (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), and Australia’s Sam Welsford (Bora-Hansgrohe), Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck). That’s a deep line-up, and it should produce some of the most exciting field sprints of the season.

The Giro d’Italia has always embraced gravel roads. In 2005, the organizers took the race up and over the Colle delle Finistre, a climb in the Italian Alps that’s famous for an eight-kilometer section of gravel approaching the summit of the pass. The Giro has included the climb four three since 2005, most famously during Stage 19 in 2018 when Great Britain’s Chris Froome went on an 86K solo raid, overcoming a 3:22 deficit to take the maglia rosa . He won his first and only Giro in Rome two days later.

In 2010, the Giro was one of the first grand tours in the modern era to introduce gravel roads on a non-mountain stage when the organizers took a page out of the Strade Bianche road race and included several sections of white gravel roads near the end of Stage 7, a 220-kilometer ride from Carrara to Montalcino. Australia’s Cadel Evans won the stage; the former mountain biker seemed at home on the white gravel roads, which had turned brown due to heavy rain.

This year’s race won’t go over the Finistere (yeah, we’re bummed too), but it will bring the riders over about 12 km of punchy, gravel roads during the second half of Stage 6. The 177-kilometer stage from Viareggio to Rapolano Terme comes just before the Giro’s first time trial, and should present a perfect opportunity for an ambush, possibly by a rider who doesn’t fancy his chances in the next day’s race against the clock.

5. Lots of Mountains

It’s the mountains that keep everyone coming back to the Giro d’Italia (or, in the case of a few of the riders, staying away). This year’s race is no different, with 42,900 meters of elevation gain over the course of the Giro’s 21 stages and seven uphill finishes (including the climb at the end of Stage 7’s ITT). That’s a lot of climbing, and the organizers, as always, have included some of the most famous ascents in Giro’s history.

We’ve already mentioned the Oropa—this year’s Cima Pantani—at the end of the Stage 2, but that’s not the only summit finish of the first week. After Stage 7’s uphill ITT finish there’s another summit finish on Stage 8, on the Category 1 climb to Prati di Tivo, a 14-kilometer ascent with an average gradient of 7 percent. Expect these two stages to determine which rider will wear the maglia rosa heading into the Giro’s first rest day.

The second week begins with a new summit finish on Stage 10, the Category 1 Bocca della Selva, a 20.9K climb with an average gradient of just 4.6 percent. But that’s misleading: for some reason, the “official” climb begins with over 3 km of downhill roads, which lowers the average gradient overall.

The second week ends with Stage 15, which might be the hardest in this year’s Giro. Originally slated to bring the race into Switzerland for a hot sec, the route of this 220-kilometer stage has been altered to keep the race in Italy. That’s bad news for the riders, as they now will face the Mortirolo—one of the hardest and most famous climbs in Giro history—two-thirds of the way through the stage. The day ends with back-to-back Category 1 ascents: the Passo di Foscagno and—after a very short descent—the final climb to the Mottolino ski resort above Livigno, a steep, 8-kilometer climb with pitches that hit 18 percent. Thank goodness the next day is a rest day!

But after the second Rest Day, the riders won’t have a chance to ease themselves back into action, as Stage 16—another stage over 200 km—begins with an ascent of the Stelvio (20.2 km at 7.2 percent). Topping out at 2,758 meters, this is the highest climb in the entire Giro, and the first rider over the summit will win the Cima Coppi prize for being the first to the top. There’s a long ride from the top of the pass down into the valley, but two hard climbs at the end of the stage will settle things once and for all.

Stage 18 takes the race into the Dolomites on a 159-kilometer route containing five categorized climbs, including ascents of both sides of the Passo Brocon, with a summit finish on the steeper side of the mountain. And just for good measure, Stage 20 heads back into the Dolomites, where the riders will climb the Monte Grappa (18.1 km at 8.1 percent) twice. This one doesn’t end with a summit finish, but after 20 days of racing and at the end of another ferocious final week, this stage should blow the peloton apart. At the end of the day, we’ll know the eventual winner of the 2024 Giro d’Italia.

6. Pog Goes for Pink

But by far, the biggest marquee rider on this year’s start list has to be Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). Perhaps the most exciting rider in the entire men’s peloton, Pog can win it all: grand tours, cobbled classics, and week-long stage races. He’s the most complete and multi-faceted male rider we’ve seen in decades, and this year—for the first time in his career—he’s heading to Giro.

Yup, that’s right. The 25-year-old has made it a career goal to win every major race on the calendar. For example, the two-time Tour de France champion took a dominant victory in last year’s Tour of Flanders , a cobbled Monument that grand tour riders usually avoid. And in March, he stated his desire to win all seven of the sport’s major week-long stage races (he’s already won three of them).

This is a far cry from just a decade or two ago when riders rode super-specific programs, often only targeting one or two major events each season. This was especially the case with riders targeting the Tour de France. These riders cared less about winning as many races as possible and more about building fitness for the Tour de France—without crashing or getting sick (which, as recent events have shown us, is a delicate balance).

But we’re talking about Tadej Pogačar, a rider who cares more about winning as many races as he can than winning one or two races as many times as he can. And at 25, he can race a diverse program right now and still decide to specialize a few years from now.

Given the way he’s riding—having raced nine times this season and only finishing off the podium twice, and doing so with no real challengers—he could blow the doors of the Giro by the end of the first week. And that might be a good thing: in addition to winning the Giro, Pog also wants to become the first rider since Pantani to win the Giro and the Tour in the same season.

Jumping out to an early, insurmountable lead would allow Pogačar to sit back and ride defensively, possibly saving him important matches in what has suddenly become (after the recent crash at the Itzulia Basque Country ) a rather winnable Tour de France for someone having already raced the Giro. Now, that would be historic!

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The sprinters will get another chance to go for glory at the 2023 Tour de France as Tuesday's stage four offers a flat route and fast finish.. The 182km route begins in Dax, a small town in ...
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That's right, this ridiculous seven-climb monster is the very first stage of the Tour de France. The peloton has only 35km to spin out its nerves before its hit by a battery of lower-cat climbs in Italy's Emilia-Romagna. Accumulating some 3,800m of gain over its arduous 205km course, this is the hilliest opening stage the Tour has ever seen.
2024 Tour de France Route, Dates, and Details: Packed with Firsts and
June 29 to July 21. Four territories (Italy, San Marino, France, Monte Carlo) 7 mountain stages. 4 summit finishes. 32km of gravel roads. With the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris dictating the calendar, the men's Tour de France — which will runs from June 29 to July 21 — will not finish in Paris as the riders head for Nice for a final-day ...
Tour de France 2023, Stage 4 (Dax
"Tuesday, 4 JulyAfter the big Tour opener in the Basque Country, stage 4 starts in Dax and ends after 181 kilometres in Nogaro. It finishes on a motor racing...
2023 Tour de France route
The map of stage 4 of the 2023 Tour de France (Image credit: GEOATLAS) Stage 5: Pau to Laruns, 162.7km - Mountain. Image 1 of 2. Profile of stage 5 of the 2023 Tour de France (Image credit: ASO)
Official classifications of Tour de France 2024
Classifications of Tour de France 2024. Club 2024 route 2024 Teams 2023 Edition Rankings Stage winners All the videos. Grands départs Tour Culture news ... 2023 Rankings after stage 4 Stage 4 - 07/04 - Dax > Nogaro. Stage 1 - 07/01 - Bilbao > Bilbao Stage 2 ...
A Relaxed Day With A Hectic Finale!
Highlights from stage 4 of the Tour de France 2023. A flat 181.8km stage between Dax and Nogaro with an intermediate sprint at Notre-Dame des Cyclistes and a...
Tour de France 2023 Stage 4 results
Stage 4 » Dax › Nogaro (181.8km) Jasper Philipsen is the winner of Tour de France 2023 Stage 4, before Caleb Ewan and Phil Bauhaus. Adam Yates was leader in GC.
Tour de France stage 4 LIVE: Result as Wout van Aert makes solo ...
🔥 La course s'anime en tête de peloton ! L'homme de tête n'a plus que 1' d'avance. ... Tour de France stage 4: Intermediate sprint results. 14:15, Michael Jones. 1. Anthony Perez, 20 pts. 2 ...
Tour de France, Stage 4: Start time, TV channel, live stream, course
The 2022 Tour de France makes its French debut on Tuesday with Stage 4. The first three stages of the race were held in Denmark, marking the first time the race has run in the Scandinavian country. After Stage 3 wrapped on Sunday, Monday was a travel day and the cyclists return on Tuesday.
Tour de France stage 4: A series of unlikely events
Fortune is a big part of any success in sport, but it has taken an extraordinary series of improbable events to even bring Mark Cavendish to this Tour de France, let alone win a stage.The Manx ...
Tour de France 2023: Stage 4 Preview
Stage 4 - Dax to Nogaro (181.8km) - Tuesday, July 4. Stage 4 of the 2023 Tour de France should offer another opportunity for the sprinters to take center stage. The day begins in Dax, not far from ...
Chris Froome: Another Tour de France stage win would be an 'amazing
Chris Froome has revealed his ambition of finishing his storied cycling career with one more "amazing" stage win at the Tour de France. The 38-year-old has been a key rider in the Tour's history ...
Tour de France: How Pros Recover During a Race Like the Tour
Pro cyclists racing the Tour de France or the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift put their bodies through a battle during every day, for three weeks straight (minus a couple of rest days). But ...
Tour de France 2022
Stage 4: Dunkerque to Calais. Date : July 5, 2022. Distance : 172km. Stage timing : 13:15 - 17:15 CEST. Stage type: Hilly. After a rest day and a transfer to Northern France, the Tour de France is ...
2024 Giro d'Italia
The next day could be a different story though, when a 161-kilometer stage from San Francesco al Campo to the Santuario di Oropa ends with the Giro's first summit finish, an 11.8-kilometer climb ...

5 unmissable stages of the 2024 Tour de France

Patrick Fletcher

Stage 4: Why take a tunnel when you can climb a col?

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