Tadej Pogacar notches his first win of the 2025 Tour de France on Stage 4. The win marks Pofgacar’s 100th career victory, a mark that he has reached at the age of 26. Racing his whole professional career with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Pogačar becomes the fourth-quickest rider in history to reach the landmark.
Today’s course takes the peloton from Amiens Métropole to Rouen (174.2km), with a punchy route featuring 2,050 metres of elevation. The five categorised ascents of the day are packed inside the last 40 kilometres of the stage ahead of an uphill finish.
As we pick up coverage, the stage is just 67km in and Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) and Thomas Gachignard (Total Energies) are off the front with a steady 2 minute lead.
181 riders took the start today, with most notably Jasper Philipsen out of the race after a bump with Bryan Couquard during yesterday’s intermediate sprint. Though many were pointing fingers at the Frenchman, he was nothing but apologetic after the stage for the crash.
While Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) took the win on Monday, Matthieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Decueninck) still has the maillot jaune on his shoulders, and as such, his domestiques are doing the work to keep the pace up and the break at a reasonable distance.
After Jasper Philipsen had to withdraw yesterday, Jonathan Milan is the new leader of the points standings with a tally of 81 points. At 24 years, 9 months and 6 days old, he is the youngest Italian to hold the green jersey since Francesco Moser at the beginning of the Tour 1975. Biniam Girmay follows with 77 points and Tim Merlier has 63 after his win in Dunkerque.
Today’s stage winner will grab 50 points as well and the first 15 riders at the intermediate sprint will also score points (20 for the first rider).
With 100km to go, the leading quarter still sat at a 1’51” lead.
Before the race, Mathieu Van Der Poel told reporters that he would really like to win today’s stage for Jasper Philipsen: “If I win it doesn’t change the fact that Jasper left the Tour. For us, it really is a bummer. We were ready to fight for the green jersey again and everybody in the team is sad. It would be nice to win for him. We’re gonna do our best to seize our opportunity today. Normally, it should suit me so let’s see how the race goes.”
As the pace picks up, the categorized climbs are getting nearer. They are:
- Km 128.2: Côte Jacques Anquetil (cat. 4, 3.5 km at 3.6%).
- Km 146.6: Côte de Belbeuf (cat. 3, 1.3 km at 9.1%).
- Km 154.4: Côte de Bonsecours (cat. 4, 900 m at 7.2%)
- Km 162.1: Côte de la Grand’Mare (cat. 4, 1.8 km at 5%).
- Km 169: Rampe Saint-Hilaire (cat. 3, 800 m at 10.6%)
At the top of the last climb, there will only be 5.2 kilometres left to cover. A total of seven points can be earned in the mountains classification.
As the Côte Jacques Anquetil gets closer, the peloton has taken 30 seconds out of the leading quartet’s advantage.
Asgreen took the points on the first climb and with 44 km remaining, the peloton has moved to 1’13” back.
It’s 10km to the sprint point, so there may be some action in the peloton as just 4 points separates first and second place in the green jersey battle.
Ahead of the sprint, Abrahamsen went on the attack, taking the top points ahead of Asgreen.
The peloton moved to within 20 seconds of the leaders after the sprint, and it was down to three at the front as Gachignard was caught.
With the Côte de Belbeuf nearing, the catch is imminent, with just Martinez holding on to a 14 second lead. UAE Team Emirates is leading the peloton.
25km to go and Martinez was holding on, but he was caught just 4km later. Tim Wellens is leading the peloton to add more to his KOM points tally, but it was Anders Johannessen taking the points on the Côte de Bonsecours.
With the Côte de la Grand’Mare coming, it’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Alpecin-Deceuninck at the helm of the bunch. Groupama-FDJ were up there as well.
Wellens takes the points there, and just the Rampe Saint-Hilaire remained. Visma Lease-a-Bike had 4 riders sitting at the front.
10km to go and Van Der Poel was safely close to the front. Wellens, having cushioned his KOM points tally, went off the back and was 2’24” back.
Pogacar has moved towards the lead as well. He attacks and Vingegaard chased. They lead the peloton by 11 seconds.
Evenepoel, Jorgenson, Onley, Van der Poel and Almeida get back to Pogacar and Vingegaard with Grégoire, Vauquelin and Skkjelmose not far behind.
Less than 2km to and the dance is on.
1km to go and Matteo Jorgensen has attacked. He has a good gap.
But its Pogacar with the legs, and he takes the stage!
Reflecting on his 100th victory after the line, Pogačar spoke of his delight at reaching the landmark wearing the rainbow jersey as world champions.
“I tried with an attack on the last climb and Jonas followed me, before everything came together,” Pogacar told the media. “João did such an amazing job to lead me out right until the end, even if other people were attacking, so I am super happy and proud for the team today. They were amazing. I am just without words, it was such a nice victory.
“To win at the Tour is incredible, in this jersey, even more. To have 100 victories is amazing.
“There are so many good riders in the final, you are always a bit on the edge and nervous. You never know what is going to happen, and you never know until the final. Like today, you get this adrenaline and it is pure racing – I really enjoy it.”
Stage 4 Brief Results:
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
- Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike)
- Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL)
- Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ)
General Classification After Stage 4:
- Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), +0”
- Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), +8”
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