Evans started the stage only one second out of first; he tried hard to take yellow, but Garmin-Cervelo’s Thor Hushovd, normally a sprinter, used his power to hang onto the leaders and retain the race lead.
Contador, considered the favorite and the best climber in cycling, made an attack, got caught, and made a strong final charge, but was a few seconds too late.
“I’m here for the overall classification,” Evans told letour.com. “I’m just very happy to get through today without too many problems and be in front. To try for the stage win—and get it—is already fantastic, and now we’ll look towards tomorrow and beyond.
“It was thanks to my team that I could do what I did in the final there. That was the first objective and if I could do something in the stage was extra. To win a stage here in the first week is a real bonus and I owe it all to my team.”
Hilltop Finish
Most experts opined that the yellow jersey would change hands in Stage Four—the final climb was too long for a sprinter like Thor Hushovd, and with the top two dozen riders within ten seconds of the leader, it was expected that the final few kilometers would see a series of attacks.
Tuesday was the first rainy, miserable day of the 2011 Tour, with rain, cold, and high winds at the beginning of the course and intermittent drizzle throughout the stage. Happily for the riders, the weather lifted for the final climb.
The day started with the obligatory breakaway, though it took nine kilometers to get away this time. Five riders—Jeremy Roy (FDJ), Blel Kadri (Ag2r), Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) and Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi)—insisted on an attack which was to last until the 3.7 km from the finish.
Garmin-Cervelo’s Dave Zabriskie and Omega Pharma-Lotto’s André Greipel led the final kilometers of the chase at speeds of up to 50 mph, Zabriskie defending his teammate’s yellow jersey and Greipel setting up Philippe Gilbert, who was picked for the stage win on the day, his birthday.
Farrar Wins the Mid-Race Sprint
Perhaps Cavendish decided not to spend his energy competing for points, preferring to save his legs for an overall win in Stage Five.
Since Cavendish and Thor Hushovd were both stripped of their sprint points after their coming-together in Stage Three, the HTC rider is ninth in points. Perhaps he decided stage wins were more worth contesting than the green jersey competition.
Whatever the case, Farrar moved into fifth place in the points, with Cavendish dropping to twelfth.
Stage Five should end in a bunch sprint. Although the final kilometer is slightly uphill, this could be another chance for Farrar to face Cavendish head-to-head.
Next: Evans vs. Contador
Evans vs. Contador
While it was unlikely that even Alberto Contador, generally considered the strongest climber in pro cycling, could make significant gains on such a short climb so early in the Tour, the Spanish rider needed every second he could gain.
Surprisingly, no one took a shot on the hills leading up to the final climb—maybe the riders were worried about the strong headwind blowing down the road. Instead, everyone waited until halfway through the final climb.
Alberto Contador was the first to go, with 1.3 kilometers left. His attack was immediately covered by Philippe Gilbert, who wanted a stage win on his 29th birthday. Cadel Evans and half-a-dozen other riders—including Thor Hushovd—fought their way up the hill to catch the leading pair.
Shortly after Contador was caught, Rigoberto Uran of Sky launched an abortive attack, followed by a charge by Lotto’s Jurgen Van Den Broeck at 500 meters. Philippe Gilbert tagged onto Van Den Broeck, with Evans fourth wheel, while Contador dropped back. Apparently his first attack had hurt him. The Spanish rider slowly made his way back to the leaders, not looking dangerous at all.
Alberto Contador raised his arms in victory, and Cadel Evans assumed he had lost. The official camera told the story: Evans’ excellent effort was rewarded with the win.
“In the final sprint I was committed but I didn’t want to launch too hard because I knew the others could have come around me. I saw Contador closing in on me but I just had to hold him off,” Evans told letour.com.
“It came down to the throw to the line and right at the finish I couldn’t even see who crossed the line first. I honestly didn’t see it … I was just focused on reaching for the line. I really had to wait for the official result myself before I knew for sure that I’d won.”
Astana’s Alexandre Vinokourov finished third, though a bit old to be a serious GC contender, he is apparently in fine form, and may offer up some surprises later in the race. Uran and Gilbert nabbed the next two spots ahead of Thor Hushovd, who retained the yellow jersey with a gutsy climb. No longer really a sprinter, the powerful Norwegian is showing he can be a terrific all-around rider, perhaps in the class of a Jens Voigt?
Andy Schleck had a less successful day. The younger Schleck brother was not able to match the final few accelerations and lost eight second in the General Classification.
Schleck still leads his rival Contador by 90 seconds, but Leopard-Trek rider will need to match every attack in the Alps and Pyrenees if he hopes to climb higher than the second step of the podium which he has occupied for the past two Tours.
Sprinters Favored in Stage Five
Stage Five, 164.5 km from Carhaix to Cap Fréhel, is not a pan-flat trek across the plains; rather it is an up-and-down roller-coaster of a stage, with only a single categorized climbs but not a kilometer of level road.
With so many small hills, there are plenty of places for a breakaway to sneak away; likely though, the sprinters’ teams will beat themselves up chasing down whatever attacks may come.
Because the final kilometer is slightly uphill (after a slightly steeper uphill stretch from kilometers four to three) this might end up being another strong-man’s sprint, suited for Philippe Gilbert or Thor Hushovd. However the road slopes down after kilometer three, possibly offering enough time for the sprinters to catch their breaths and their leadout trains to form up.
It is almost guaranteed that a couple riders will take a flyer in the final few kilometers (Damiano Cunego or Danilo Hondo, perhaps?)
Whichever way it works out, the finish of this stage will be exciting.
| 2011 Tour de France Stage Four Result |
| General Classification after Stage Four | |||||||
| 1 | Cadel Evans | BMC | 4:11:39 | 1 | Thor Hushovd | Garmin-Cervelo | 13:58:25 |
| |
| 2 | Alberto Contador | Saxo Bank Sungard | +0:00 | 2 | Cadel Evans | BMC | 13:58:26 | + 00:01 | |
| 3 | Alexandre Vinokourov | Astana | +0:00 | 3 | Fränk Schleck | Leopard Trek | 13:58:29 | + 00:04 | |
| 4 | Rigoberto Uran Uran | Sky Procycling | +0:00 | 4 | David Millar | Garmin-Cervelo | 13:58:33 | + 00:08 | |
| 5 | Philippe Gilbert | Omega Pharma-Lotto | +0:00 | 5 | Andreas Klöden | RadioShack | 13:58:35 | + 00:10 | |
| 6 | Thor Hushovd | Garmin-Cervelo | +0:00 | 6 | Bradley Wiggins | Sky | 13:58:35 | + 00:10 | |
| 7 | Fränk Schleck | Leopard Trek | +0:00 | 7 | Geraint Thomas | Sky | 13:58:37 | + 00:12 | |
| 8 | Samuel Sanchez | Euskaltel-Euskadi | +0:00 | 8 | Edvald Boasson Hagen | Sky | 13:58:37 | + 00:12 | |
| 9 | Jurgen Van Den Broeck | Omega Pharma-Lotto | +0:00 | 9 | Andy Schleck | Leopard Trek | 13:58:37 | + 00:12 | |
| 10 | Andreas Klöden | RadioShack | +0:00 | 10 | Jakob Fuglsang | Leopard Trek | 13:58:37 | + 00:12 | |
