Back to 2012 Tour de France | Stage 4 map and profile | Photos from Stage 4

Stage 4, Wednesday, July 4: Abbeville - Rouen, 214.5 km

Rated Climbs:

• Km 38.0: Côte du Mont Huon - 2.1 km climb @ 4.1 % - Category 4
• Km 69.0: Côte de Dieppe - 1.8 km climb @ 3.9 % - Category 4
• Km 74.0: Côte de Pourville-sur-Mer - 1.9 km climb @ 4.4 % - Category 4
• Km 143.0: Côte de Toussaint - 1.9 km climb @ 4.5 % - Category 4

The Race: This nervous Tour de France continued to be dogged with trouble. For most of the day David Moncoutié, Yukiya Arashiro and Anthony Delaplace were away. After they were swept up with less than 10 kilometers to go, Sylvain Chavanel put in a monster attack. But everything was together for what looked to be another big-gear drag race between André Greipel and Mark Cavendish. It wasn't to be. With less than 3 km to go, a monster crash took down or delayed Cavendish and many other riders. With Lotto-Belisol's sprint train working perfectly, the race was between Alessandro Petacchi and Greipel, with Greipel taking the win.

Fabian Cancellara retained his 7-second lead over Bradley Wiggins and Sylvain Chavanel in the General Classification.

Results:

1. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) 5hr 18min 32sec. 40.4 km/hr
2. Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) s.t.
3. Tom Veelers (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
4. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
5. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) s.t.
6. Jonathan Cantwell (Saxo-Tinkoff) s.t.
7. Daryl Impey (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
8. Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil) s.t.
9. Edvald Boasson Hagen (sky) s.t.
10. Ruben Perez (Euskaltel) s.t.
11. Gregory Henderson (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
12. Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
13. Dmitriy Fofonov (Astana) s.t.
14. Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
15. Rémy di Gregorio (Cofidis) s.t.
16. Marcus Burghardt (BMC) s.t.
17. Patrick Gretsch (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
18. Egoi MArtinez (Euskaltel) s.t.
19. Janez Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
20. Gorka Izaguirre (Euskaltel) s.t.
21. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
22. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) s.t.
23. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) s.t.
24. Danilo Hondo (Lampre) s.t.
25. Jorge Azanza (Euskaltel) s.t.
26. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
27. Cadel Evans (BMC) s.t.
28. Michael Rogers (Sky) s.t.
29. Marcel Sieberg (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
30. Roy Curvers (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
31. Koen De Kort (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
32. Cyril Gautier (Europcar) s.t.
33. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) s.t.
34. Anthony Roux (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
35. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) s.t.
36. Christopher Froome (Sky) s.t.
37. Sandy Casar (FDJ-Big Mat) s.t.
38. Johannes Fröhlionger (Argos-Shimano) s.t.
39. Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) s.t.
40. Imanol Erviti (Movistar) s.t.
41. José Ivan Gutierrez (Movistar) s.t.
42. Jan Ghyselinck (Cofidis) s.t.
43. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) s.t.
44. Vladimir Gusev (Katusha) s.t.
45. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) s.t.
46. Baden Cooke (Orica-GreenEdge) s.t.
47. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
48. Ruben Plaza (Movistar) s.t.
49. Adam Hansen (Lotto-Belisol) s.t.
50. Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) s.t.

General Classification: 817 km raced so far at an average speed of 40.713 km/hr

1. Fabian Cancellara (Radio Shack-Nissan) 20hr 4min 2sec
2. Bradley Wiggins (Sky) @ 7sec
3. Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
4. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) @ 10sec
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) @ 11sec
6. Denis Menchov (Katusha ) @ 13sec
7. Cadel Evans (BMC) @ 17sec
8. Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) @ 18sec
9. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) @ 18sec
10. Andréas Klöden (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 19sec
11. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) @ 21sec
12. Maxime Monfort (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 22sec
13. Janezs Brajkovic (Astana) s.t.
14. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) s.t.
15. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) @ 23sec
16. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Ag2r) s.t.
17. Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil) s.t.
18. Vladimir Gusev Katusha) @ 24sec
19. Haimar Zubeldia (Radio Shack-Nissan) s.t.
20. Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil) s.t.
21. Nicolas Roche (Ag2r) @ 25sec
22. Michael Rogers (Sky) s.t.
23. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 26sec
24. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol) @ 28sec
25. Dries Devenyns (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 29sec
26. Ivan Basso (Liquigas) s.t.
27. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) @ 35sec
28. Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) s.t.
29. Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel) @ 37sec
30. Michele Scarponi (Lampre) s.t.
31. Frank Schleck (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 38sec
32. Andriy Grivko (Astana) s.t.
33. Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) @ 40sec
34. Robert Kiserlovski (Astana) @ 42sec
35. Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Movistar) s.t.
36. Nick Nuyens (Saxo-Tinkoff) @ 43sec
37. Pierre Rolland (Europcar) @ 45sec
38. Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) s.t.
39. Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-Big Mat) @ 47sec
40. Jérôme Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) 2 48sec
41. Steven Kruijswijk (Rbobank) @ 53sec
42. Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil) s.t.
43. Oscar Freire (Katusha) @ 57sec
44. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) @ 1min 0sec
45. Rafael Valls (Vacansoleil) @ 1min 1sec
46. Andrey Kashechkin (Astana) @ 1min 24sec
47. Christopher Horner (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1min 29sec
48. Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel) @ 1min 30sec
49. Tony Gallopin (Radio Shack-Nissan) @ 1min 38sec
50. Christopher Froome (Sky) @ 1min 41sec

Climber:

1. Michael Morkov (Saxo-Tinkoff): 9 points
2. Ivan Basso (Liquigas): 2
3. Peter Sagan (Liquigas): 2
4. David Moncoutié (Cofidis): 2
5. Anthony Delaplace (Saur-Sojasun): 2

Points:

1. Peter Sagan (Liquigas): 147 points
2. Matthew Harley Goss (Orica-GreenEdge): 92
3. André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol): 87
4. Mark Cavendish (Sky): 86
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky): 81

Young Rider:

1. Tejay Van Garderen (BMC): 20hr 4min 12sec
2. Edvald Boasson hagen (Sky) @ 1sec
3. Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) @ 12sec
4. Peter Sagen (Liquigas) @ 13sec
5. Wouter Poels (Vacansoleil) @ 14sec

Team Classification:

1. Sky: 60hr 12min 40sec
2. Radio Shack-Nissan @ 4sec
3. BMC @ 6sec
4. Omega Pharma-Quick Step) @ 13sec
5. Liquigas-Cannondale @ 29sec

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Stage map and profile

Stage 4 map

Stage 4 profile

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Photos from Stage 4:

Oscar Freire selects his weapon for the day

Fabian Cancellara rides to the start

Alessandro Petacchi

Peter Sagen

Close-up of Peter Sagen's bike

Misfortune has taken Thomas Voeckler out of the GC hunt.

Ready to rumble.

From the publicity caravan. Still no giant flies.

Lotto-Belisol has a fine leadout train. Petacchi (pink and blue kit) and Sagen (green jersey) obviously agree.

Sylvain Chavanel leads Cadel Evans and Michael Rogers

With Mark Cavendish crashed out, Greipel's main competition was from Alessandro Petacchi, who wasn't up to the task today.

Mark Cavendish was caught in the big crash with 2.5 km to go.

Another day, another yellow jersey.

After flogging himself mercilessly in the day's break, Yukiya Arashiro get the day's combativity prize.

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