Tour de France 2015/4. stage

◄ 3.00000 Result of the 4th stage 5. ►00000
		Tony Martin (EQS)	5:28:58 h (40.764 km / h)
2.		John Degenkolb (TGA)	+ 0:03 min
3.		Peter Sagan (TCS)	+ 0:03 min
4th		Greg Van Avermaet (BMC)	+ 0:03 min
5.		Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN)	+ 0:03 min
6th		Nacer Bouhanni (COF)	+ 0:03 min
7th		Jacopo Guarnieri (KAT)	+ 0:03 min
8th.		Tony Gallopin (LTS)	+ 0:03 min
9.		Zdeněk Štybar (EQS)	+ 0:03 min
10.		Bryan Coquard (EUC)	+ 0:03 min
		Vincenzo Nibali (AST)
Intermediate results after the 4th stage
		Tony Martin (EQS)	12:40:26 h
2.		Chris Froome (SKY)	+ 0:12 min
3.		Tejay van Garderen (BMC)	+ 0:25 min
		André Greipel (LTS)	84 pts.
2.		Peter Sagan (TCS)	78 pts.
3.		John Degenkolb (TGA)	60 pts.
		Joaquim Rodríguez (KAT)	2 pts.
2.		Michael Schär (BMC)	1 point
3.		Rafał Majka (TCS)	1 point
		Peter Sagan (TCS)	12:41:05 h
2.		Warren Barguil (TGA)	+ 0:40 min
3.		Nairo Quintana (MOV)	+ 1:29 min
		BMC Racing Team	38:02:55 h
2.		Etixx-Quick Step	+ 0:24 min
3.		Tinkoff-Saxo	+ 1:44 min

The 4th stage of the Tour de France 2015 took place on July 7th 2015 and led from Seraing over 223.5 kilometers to Cambrai through Belgium and France . There was a mountain classification of the 4th category after 53 kilometers and an intermediate sprint after 137 kilometers. A special feature of this longest stage of the 2015 tour was a total of seven pavé sections with a total length of 13.3 kilometers, six of them on the last 46 kilometers. The fourth stage counted as a medium-difficult stage. There were 191 drivers at the start.

Race course

After the start of the race, a leading group formed consisting of Lieuwe Westra (Astana), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Perrig Quéméneur (Europcar) and Frédéric Brun (Bretagne-Séché Environnement). Before the first and only mountain classification of the day, the four drivers were already more than eight minutes ahead of the field, which did little to follow up. De Gendt won the mountain classification and received one point. In the main field, the Giant-Alpecin team took the lead in order to preserve the chance of victory for John Degenkolb . Later other teams also took over the follow-up work, so that the lead of the outliers began to wane. When entering the first cobblestone section, they were only a minute ahead of the field, but were initially able to hold their own in the further course. Before the intermediate sprint, they were again in the lead with three minutes.

In the next pavé sections there were repeated minor falls and defects, the teams of the tour favorites placed themselves in the front of the field to protect their captains. The main field was torn apart several times. Vincenzo Nibali's Astana team drove at a high pace on the cobblestones and was able to break away from the competition for a short time. The outliers were caught up quickly. Last year's third Thibaut Pinot fell back from the front group and lost a lot of time on his competitors.

A few kilometers from the finish there were still a few sprinters up front, including Mark Cavendish and Peter Sagan . Tony Martin attacked 3.3 kilometers from the finish with the aim of removing the yellow jersey from Chris Froome. Martin was able to bring a lead of three seconds to the finish, with which he took over the yellow jersey and built up a lead of twelve seconds on Froome in the overall standings through additional time bonuses. Second behind Martin was John Degenkolb, followed by Peter Sagan.

Pavé sectors

Seven pavé sectors with a total length of 13.3 kilometers were covered on the route.

number	Pavé sector	Kilometers from the start	Kilometers to the goal	length
7th	Pont-à-Celles - Gouy-lez-Piéton	103.5	120.0	1800 m
6th	Artres - Famars	177.5	046.0	1200 m
5	Quérénaing - Verchain-Maugré	183.0	040.5	1600 m
4th	Verchain-Maugré - Saulzoir	187.5	036.0	1200 m
3	Saint-Python	197.5	026.0	1500 m
2	Fontaine-au-Tertre - Quiévy	200.0	023.5	3700 m
1	Avesnes-les-Aubert - Carnières	210.5	013.0	2300 m

Scoring

Intermediate sprint in Havay after 137 km on 96  m OP 1. Thomas De Gendt (LTS) 20 pts. 2. Frédéric Brun (BSE) 17 pts. 3. Lieuwe Westra (AST) 15 pts. 4th Perrig Quéméneur (EUC) 13 pts. 5. Mark Cavendish (EQS) 11 pts. 6th Bryan Coquard (EUC) 10 pts. 7th André Greipel (LTS) 9 pts. 8th. Peter Sagan (TCS) 8 pts. 9. John Degenkolb (TGA) 7 pts. 10. Jens Debusschere (LTS) 6 pts. 11. Angélo Tulik (EUC) 5 pts. 12. Marcel Sieberg (LTS) 4 pts. 13. Mark Renshaw (EQS) 3 pts. 14th Roy Curvers (TGA) 2 pts. 15th José Herrada (MOV) 1 point

Stage finish in Cambrai after 223.5 km at 63  m 1. Tony Martin (EQS) 30 pts. 2. John Degenkolb (TGA) 25 pts. 3. Peter Sagan (TCS) 22 pts. 4th Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) 19 pts. 5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (MTN) 17 pts. 6th Nacer Bouhanni (COF) 15 pts. 7th Jacopo Guarnieri (KAT) 13 pts. 8th. Tony Gallopin (LTS) 11 pts. 9. Zdeněk Štybar (EQS) 9 pts. 10. Bryan Coquard (EUC) 7 pts. 11. Alejandro Valverde (MOV) 6 pts. 12. Mark Cavendish (EQS) 5 pts. 13. Rigoberto Urán (EQS) 4 pts. 14th Robert Gesink (TLJ) 3 pts. 15th Vincenzo Nibali (AST) 2 pts.

Mountain scoring

Côte de la Citadelle de Namur Category 4 after 53 km at 181  m OP 2.0 km at 4.8%
1.		Thomas De Gendt (LTS)	1 point

tasks

•  Fabian Cancellara (TFR): did not start the stage (consequences of the fall of the 3rd stage)
•  Daryl Impey (OGE): not started for the stage (consequences of the fall of the 3rd stage)
•  Andreas Schillinger (BOA): did not start the stage (infection)

Web links

Commons : 4th stage of the 2015 Tour de France  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• 4th stage of the Tour de France 2015
• Race course

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Tour de France - Stage 4. In: live-radsport.ch . LIVE-Radsport.ch, July 7, 2015, accessed on July 25, 2015 .