Tour de France stage 4 Live – Alpecin-Deceuninck and Van der Poel keeping strong break on tight leash in final 100km

Around 25km to go until we start the climbs.

Today’s average speed is 45 kph.

We have a whole feature on why the Tour de France is getting faster, and why it won’t be slowing down soon.

The break are working hard and riding well together, in a good through-and-off formation, but I’m not sure they have any chance of staying away, no matter how strong they are.

This man was impressive on stage 2. Could he go for it again today?

Julian Alaphilippe of Tudor Pro Cycling (Image credit: Getty Images)

EF Education-EasyPost have just moved up towards the front of the bunch.

Obviously they have Asgreen in the lead, but may also be thinking of someone like Healy or Powless for the final.

Riders are grabbing musettes from the side of the road and having some food.

Lunch time in the peloton!

Most of the action is packed into the final 50km.

The peloton is pretty strung out. It’s definitely not easy work to keep this strong break within two minutes.

We’re going over a bit of an uncategorised climb at the moment.

Silvan Dillier is still on the front. Obviously.

Lenny Martinez is putting in a little dig over a rise – well, a bridge that rises. But he doesn’t go anywhere.

Mathieu van der Poel is just chasing back onto the bunch after being at the car.

The peloton just went through the beautiful town of Gerberoy.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

But this is how Jeannière finished the stage yesterday, so you can see why he’s at the car.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Émilien Jeannière is at the medical car. It’s annoying some of the other riders out the back of the bunch that he’s just being towed past them…

It’s a glamorous life on Tour.

Riders are stopping to wee again. It’s very chill today.

It really is impressive what Silvan DIllier is doing here. Just controlling the break, on his own, for kilometres on end. No rotation needed for the Swiss man.

The four leaders, with little Lenny Martinez at the back.

The gap is 2:11.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Here’s the polka-dot king.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Quick stop for Tim Wellens, but he’s back riding now.

He’s in FULL polka dots today, even the helmet. He’s just completed the feat of wearing the mountains jersey in all three Grand Tours (so it maybe wasn’t all about getting Pogačar out of the jersey…)

‘Our only goal is yellow in Paris’ – Tim Wellens explains why he ‘captured’ Tour de France mountain classification lead from teammate Tadej Pogačar

Alpecin-Deceuninck are all about Van der Poel today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A reminder that Jonas Abrahamsen, who is in the break, only broke his collarbone a few weeks ago. Mad recovery.

Nine-day recovery from collarbone break sees Jonas Abrahamsen back in Tour de France team ‘against all odds’

Here’s a reminder of today’s profile:

(Image credit: ASO)

Still a good 80km to go until the first climb today. It’s very much going to be a day of two halves; this calm and then a really fierce finale.

Some food, drink nd a chat for Asgreen as he goes back to the car. It’s Tom Southam on DS duty for EF Education-EasyPost.

Asgreen calls for the car.

Today’s now-traditional start line selfie (ft. a rogue Matej Mohorič)

Here you go, architecture fans. This is the colossal cathedral in Amiens, the Notre Dame d’Amiens. It’s as big as two Notre Dames de Paris.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s Visma-Lease a Bike who are lined up behind Alpecin.

They’re looking after Vingegaard, of course, but I wonder if Wout van Aert could also be an option for the finale. He’s coming back from illness but the climbs would suit him.

Alpecin-Deceuninck are really giving the leaders nothing today. The gap is not even two minutes right now.

There’s 2,000m of climbing on this stage, with five climbs in the last 50km.

A rider to watch today?

Kévin Vauquelin of Arkéa-B&B Hotels. He’s in the white jersey, and this is close to a home stage for him – who used to ride for a Rouen-based team – and he’s close enough to yellow that he could indeed take it if he won with a small gap.

It’s about 18 degrees in France at the moment, but beautifully sunny.

Tour de France or vintage Windows screensaver?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Possibly not a lot is going to happen for the next 50km or so, as the break is set and everyone will be looking at the climb-packed finale.

Want something to read in the meantime? May I recommend this extract from Luke Rowe’s book Road Captain, where he recalls an anecdote where Chris Froome was beefing with Vincenzo Nibali at the 2015 Tour.

The peloton is currently going at 53 kph. Oof!

This is a really strong four-rider group. Alpecin are doing the right thing by keeping it close, because these are the kind of riders who could spring a surprise if you give them too much leeway.

Asgreen joins the leaders.

Asgreen is nearly there.

Alpecin are clearly keeping this one relatively close – the gap isn’t going much above two minutes.

Bryan Coquard has stopped to have his seatstay adjusted, and take a natural break at the same time. Multitasking I guess.

All the special jerseys at the start this morning.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Asgreen is now 42 seconds behind the leaders, who are 2:09 ahead of the bunch.

Dilier did about 200km on the front during Milan-San Remo earlier this year. Could be a similar day for him today – Alpecin obviously have the yellow to defend, but they also want to win the stage in Rouen with Van der Poel.

Asgreen is still plugging away to make this junction.

Asgreen is about halfway between the leaders and the bunch.

And the riders are just pulling over for a natural break – when the yellow jersey goes, everyone goes.

Alpecin-Deceuninck, led by Silvan Dillier, have just moved to the front and taken control which signals that the break is probably set, and they’re going to keep the gap under control.

The peloton seems fairly happy with this situation. They’re not trying to shut down Asgreen. A four-rider break is a pretty good deal on a day like today.

It’s Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost) who is on the attack after fighting up to the front of the peloton.

He has to bridge across a now 1:43 gap, but would be a very strong addition to the break.

Yep, another attack goes.

Just as a few riders stop for a natural break, which is usually a sign that no more moves are going. Controversial.

55. Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) +14:24

184. Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies) +4:11

222. Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) +5:58

But not sure it’s done just yet…

Gachignard makes the junction, and the gap is a minute.

Gachignard is about to join Abrahamsen and Martinez, so that will be three riders in the lead.

Peloton is spread across the road but not quite settled down yet.

Here we go, a rider is trying to bridge. It’s Thomas Gachignard from TotalEnergies. He’s got a 30-second gap to close on his own.

Just Martinez and Abrahamsen have gone for now, and the peloton has settled, but that doesn’t mean more riders aren’t going to try and bridge.

The gap is 20 seconds.

As soon as the flag drops, the attacks start – Lenny Martinez is indeed the first to go, followed by Jonas Abrahamsen.

The flag drops and away we go!

We’re out of town now and the official start is minutes away.

Photo of the day so far!

(Image credit: Getty Images)

He’ll be hoping to sting like a bee later on… (sorry)

Ooh Lenny Martinez is also getting to the front.

We wrote all about him before the race: Project Lenny: Can Rod Ellingworth and Bahrain Victorious develop France’s next Tour de France winner?

Victor Campenaerts is at the front now. He’s a good contender for the breakaway today.

Still 10 minutes or so until the flag drops and the race is underway properly.

Remco Evenepoel had a little crash yesterday, but is feeling fine this morning, he tells the TV.

Good, nothing crazy. It was a pretty slow crash, they crashed in front of me, I tried to brake but the bunch always takes a moment to avoid a crash, and I think I was on the wrong side on the right, so I touched the wheel of a guy in front of me and went down, so nothing crazy to worry about.

Remco Evenepoel to TNT Sports

After yesterday’s lack of a break, viewers and commentators will be hoping there is a move today.

A few Ineos riders are amassing at the front during the neutral here. That could be a sign that they want to be in the break, or they’re just staying out of trouble.

And the riders are away for the neutral roll-out in Amiens!

TNT Sports have just been speaking Alpecin-Deceuninck’s DS Christoph Roodhooft. He says Mathieu van der Poel reconned this stage finale two weeks ago.

We also have a new green jersey today in Jonathan Milan.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tadej Pogačar is back in his world champion’s kit today, after sending Tim Wellens up the road yesterday to take the polka-dot jersey off him.

Dare we say that was because Pogačar wants to win in the rainbow bands today?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

15 minutes until the neutral start.

The photographers are getting creative at the start.

10 points if you can guess which riders these are?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Just under half an hour to go until the neutralised roll-out.

This is a great stat: thanks to Tim Merlier’s win yesterday, Soudal-QuickStep have now won at least one stage in that last 13 Tours de France.

Remco Evenepoel will be certainly hoping to make it more than one in this Tour, though – maybe even tomorrow in the TT.

And here’s the actual start line looking all Tour-ified.

Here’s the view at the start and bus paddock this morning:

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You can even watch the sign-on live, if you want:

The last time the Tour was in Amiens, for a finish in 2018, Dylan Groenewegen won the stage.

Could this be a sign that he’ll have a good day today?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Cockpit stickers are honestly my passion. Love this one.

It was a rollercoaster three days for Jasper Philipsen – from yellow to crashing out.

If you’re waiting for the Tour to start, the Giro d’Italia Women is also on this week, so I’d recommend tuning into that – stage 3 is underway now, and they’re about to go over the highest point of the race.

Here’s what happened yesterday: Giro d’Italia Women: Anna Henderson claims maiden WorldTour victory on stage 2 and takes pink jersey on uphill finish to Aprica

The riders have just started signing on in Amiens.

The neutralised start is set for 13.15 CEST, with the flag drop around 20 minutes later.

Here’s a photo that sums up how chaotic yesterday was – Paul Penhoët walking to the finish after crashing on the final corner.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Some good news from this morning: Stolen Cofidis bikes recovered with help from police and Tour de France organisers

Here’s what’s on the cards today – 174.2km from Amiens to Rouen in northern France.

A jagged profile coming up (Image credit: ASO)

Today is a much punchier day, with back-to-back short but steep climbs in the finale, and a little kick up to the line in Rouen to finish things off.

Historically, we’d call this a puncheur’s day, but these days, stages like this often draw out the GC riders too, who are also some of the best puncheurs (and time trialists, and climbers, and descenders…).

My colleague James is on the ground, here’s what people have been telling him about today:

‘I’m sure the big boys will come out to play’ – GC contenders expected to clash on punchy Tour de France stage 4 finish in Rouen

I’m Matilda, Assistant Features Editor, and I’ll be taking you through what promises to be an exciting day in France, with a punchy finish on the cards.

Welcome to Cyclingnews’ live coverage of stage 4 of the Tour de France!