The 4th stage of the Tour de France will offer, this Tuesday, the leaders to gauge themselves. It’s up to the Frenchman to try to keep his precious yellow jersey.
After the Sisteron sprint, a change of scenery this Tuesday, with the 4e stage drawn between Sisteron and Orcières-Merlette (160.5 km), offering an explanation at the top. A day to follow:
For the first arrival at the top
The 4th stage (Sisteron-Orcières Merlette; 160.5 km) will be the first finish at the top of the 107th edition of the Tour à Orcières Merlette (1825 m; 7.1 km at 6.7%). Puy Mary (13th stage), Grand Colombier (15th) and the Col de la Loze (17th) will follow. An inevitably special meeting.
For headliners
They observe each other, in the corner, through the team members’ match, trying to avoid falls. They are going to explain themselves for the first time. More with the desire to mark the spirits than to widen the gaps. “There will be customers, it will be very rhythmic. Psychologically, the first arrival at the top of a Tour is always an important moment. There won’t be any big gaps, but we’ll have to be there, ”says Romain Bardet, leader of the AG2R-la Mondiale team. Roglic and Bernal, the leaders of the Ineos-Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma teams who are in control will be particularly attentive.
For history
Orcières-Merlette on the Tour route for the 5th time, in 1971, was the scene of a masterful victory for Luis Ocana after 60 km of solitary breakaway, offering him to wear the yellow jersey after relegating Eddy Merckx to 8 ’42’ ‘.
For Julian Alaphilippe
Stage winner in Nice, yellow jersey, the leader of the Deceunick-Quick Step team ensures that he wants to live from day to day, avoiding to project himself. This Tuesday he will pass a test which will shed light on the strength of his condition and his position. If the rider of the Deceuninck-Quick Step team ensures from the start that he is not aiming for the general classification, he admits to wanting “always more…”
To follow the course of this well-launched Tour
The rain and the cascade of falls of the 1st stage, the spark Alaphilippe during the 2e, Ewan’s daring sprint at Sisteron, this Tour has found its place at the start of the school year. He has not finished showing off his energy and surprises.
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