The almost entirely flat parcours of the 213.5-kilometer Tour de France Stage 4 today had the sprinters’ hopes up from the start. Bad news for the day’s three-rider breakaway, when the sprinters smell blood you’ll never get too much breathing room. Such was the story today, as the final breakaway survivor Michael Schär was caught with a little over 16 kilometers to go.
Lilian Calmejane (Total Direct Energie) tried a late attack, but his attempt was also ill-fated as he was reeled in with around six kilometers left to race. From there teams jockeyed for position at the front to launch their sprinter.
I don’t think many foresaw Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) out-sprinting Alexander Kristoff (UAE-Team Emirates) and Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) for the win today, but he did it and fairly decisively at that. Viviani took his first career Tour stage and it was clear it meant a lot to him.
“This meant a lot for me,” said Viviani, who has now taken stage victories across all three Grand Tours in his career.
“Today we did a perfect job, you saw how the lead-out did. I just need to thank the team. They were really unbelievable. I just had to in my job in the last 180 meters.”
Viviani’s Deceuninck-Quick-Step teammate Julian Alaphilippe finished safely within the peloton to hold onto the yellow jersey.
2019 Tour de France Results
Stage 4 results
1 Elia Viviani (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 5:09:20
2 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) UAE Team Emirates
3 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto-Soudal
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe
5 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
6 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Jumbo-Visma
7 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Dimension Data
8 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
9 Michael Matthews (Aus) Sunweb
10 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits
General Classification Standings
1 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck-QuickStep 14:41:39
2 Wout Van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:20
3 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 0:00:25
4 George Bennett (NZl) Jumbo-Visma
5 Michael Matthews (Aus) Sunweb 0:00:40
6 Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos
7 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos 0:00:45
8 Enric Mas (Spa) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:46
9 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC 0:00:51
10 Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First
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