Tadej Pogacar had a quiet day on Thursday. The leader of the UEA Team Emirates did not take part in the final sprint won by the Dutchman Marijn Van den Berg (EF Education – EasyPost) because he had to leave a little to the others.
After two mountain stages on Tuesday and Wednesday, completely dominated and won by the Slovenian, the fourth stage of 169 kilometers of plain between Sort and Lleida should allow the sprinters to distinguish themselves at the finish, unless a breakaway succeeds in thwarting the logic.
Coquard and Laurance at the foot of the stage podium
Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Dstny), Idar Andersen (Uno-X Mobility) and Urko Berrade (Equipo Kern Pharma) tried but never opened up a significant gap to believe it. They were caught by the peloton thirty kilometers from the finish.
And the stage ended as planned with a sprint where the favorites responded. Van den Berg (EF Education – EasyPost) won ahead of the Belgian Arne Marit (Intermarché – Wanty) and the Latvian Emils Liepins. At the foot of the podium finish the two Frenchmen Bryan Coquard, 4th, and Axel Laurance, 5th.
In the general classification, Pogacar is still ahead of Mikel Landa (Soudal – Quick Step) by 2’27”. Frenchman Lenny Martinez (Groupama-FDJ) is 4th, at 3’21”.
