Tour de France 2018, stage four: La Baule to Sarzeau (195km)

Fernando Gaviria takes victory on stage four of the 2018 Tour de France(Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

Stage four of the Tour de France 2018 went to Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) who out-sprinted Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal).

A breakaway made the peloton work hard to catch them, but was ultimately unsuccessful.

The yellow jersey staged on the shoulder of BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet who finished safely in the bunch to maintain his lead.

Read the full report from stage four of the Tour de France here

Fernando Gaviria wins stage one of the 2018 Tour de France. Image: Philippe Lopez/Getty

A sprint finish allowed Fernando Gaviria (Quick Step Floors) to showcase his sprinting legs at the end of the opening stage of the Tour de France.

What should have been a bunch finish yielding few time gaps among the GC contenders became more impactful with crashes and mechanicals in the last 5km.

There were resulting time losses for the likes of Chris Froome (Team Sky) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar) who lost 51 seconds and 1-15 respectively.

Read the full report from stage one of the Tour de France 2018 here

Tour de France 2018 route

The route will include an ascent of the Alpe d’Huez plus sections on the Paris-Roubaix cobbles which have not been visited since 2015 – and there will also be a short and sharp 65km stage in the Pyrénées.

The first three stages of the 2018 Tour de France will take place in Vendée. Two road opening stages will be followed by a 35 kilometre time trial.

The race will then head into Brittany, and the first uphill finish will take place on stage six on the Mûr de Bretagne on stage six.

Stage nine is expected to be a pivotal day, with a 154km route including 21.7km of cobbles, with a finish in Roubaix. Next there will be three days in the mountains, including a stage featuring Alpe d’Huez,

Moving to the Pyrénées the race will feature several more summit finishes, as well as a very short stage 17, at 65km finishing atop the Col-de-Portet.

The queen stage will be stage 19 – a 200km route taking in the Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, and Col d’Aubisque.

The penultimate day will feature a time trial of 31km between Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle and Espelette, before the finale parade to the Champs-Élysées.

Read more about the Tour de France route for 2018 here.

Tour de France 2018 stages

Tour de France 2018 contenders

Chris Froome on stage 21 of the 2017 Tour de France. Photo by Yuzuru Sunada

Defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) will race once again, if he’s successful he’ll claim his fifth victory at the French race.

Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) – fresh from his win at the Critérium du Dauphiné – will be Froome’s right hand man, and could take over leadership should Froome falter.

Aiming to stop the Team Sky stars will be the likes of Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale), Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Richie Porte (BMC Racing).

Adam Yates (Mitchelton Scott) will be targetting the GC, after his twin brother Simon Yates (also Mitchelton Scott) was given the responsibility of the Giro.

Tour de France: 2017 race

Chris Froome (Team Sky) wins his fourth Tour de France title

Chris Froome (Team Sky) won his fourth Tour title at the 2017 race, rolling in to Paris in the yellow jersey – his nearest rival Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) 54 seconds back with Frenchman Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) over two minutes adrift.

The British rider appeared unshaken by attacks on the final day in the mountains, on stage eighteen, and a third place on the penultimate stage – a time trial in Marseille – sealed the detail.

Previous to a GC shake up on stage seventeen, Froome’s nearest rival had been Fabio Aru (Astana) who put in an explosive attack towards the end of stage 12 to take the yellow jersey.

Aru – with no team mates around him – appeared to struggle from stage 14 onwards.

Before the Italian’s stage 12 attack, Froome (Team Sky), had laid claim to the lead on stage five when a group of GC contenders chased Aru’s winning break on the final climb.

Initially, Geraint Thomas wore yellow having won the opening time trial – he held on to it for several days and looked in strong form for his true role as domestique – but a crash on stage nine saw him out of the race, along with GC contender Richie Porte (BMC).

The battle for the green jersey appeared to be well and truly on after serial wearer Peter Sagan and potential contender Mark Cavendish both left the race. Sagan’s protruding elbow caused the Manxman to crash hard into the race barriers.  The elbow owner was subsequently disqualified from the race whilst Cav’s broken shoulder prevented him from continuing.

However,  a clear leader was appointed in the shape of Marcel Kittel. The German sprinter claimed five wins – on the second, sixth, seventh, tenth and eleventh stages, but crashed out on stage seventeen, leaving Michael Matthews of Team Sunweb to take up the mantle.

British rider Simon Yates (Orica Scott) has a firm grasp on the young rider jersey, with a gap of almost three minutes to his nearest rival.

2017 General classification after final stage

1. Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky, 86-20-55
2. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac, at 54 secs
3. Romain Bardet (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale, at 2-20
4. Mikel Landa (Esp) Team Sky, at 2-21
5. Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana, at 3-05
6. Daniel Martin (Irl) Quick-Step Floors, at 4-42
7. Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-Scott, at 6-14
8. Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team Emirates, at 8-20
9. Alberto Contador (Esp) Trek-Segafredo, at 8-49
10. Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Sunweb, at 9-25

Points classification winner: Michael Matthews (Sunweb)

Mountains classification winner: Warren Barguil (Sunweb)

Young rider classification winner: Simon Yates (Orica-Scott)

Team classification: Team Sky

Key info: 2017 Tour route | Start list | TV guide | Past winners | Brief history | Jerseys | Brits in the Tours

Previous editions: 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010