LIVE. Tour de France: Pogacar is preparing a big move, follow the 4th stage towards Galibier

Lazkano and Gaudu are joined by Johannenssen and Juul-Jensen. 1’30 lead over the peloton for the quartet.

The Frenchman and the Spaniard are the strongest in the leading group. They will have to resist the peloton, while there are 13km of climb left…

It already smells like the end for the leading group, which is paying for UAE’s strategy.

The breakaway is losing ground at the start of the climb up Galibier.

Monstrous effort from the German for UAE at the head of the peloton. He has been leading almost alone for over an hour.

After digging a little on the flat, the breakaway can once again believe in victory. 2’40 ahead at the start of the Galibier.

After a spectacular start in Italy, the peloton is now in France and heading towards the Galibier.

Like David Gaudu, the Groupama are once again active at the head of the breakaway. The stage was clearly prepared at the pre-race briefing.

The list of 17 riders in front, with a two-minute lead: Odd Christian Eiking, Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X), Christopher Juul-Jensen (Jayco AlUla), Stephen Williams (Israel Premier Tech), Raul Garcia Pierna, Cristian Rodriguez (Cofidis), Kobe Goossens (Intermarché Wanty), Oier Lakzano (Movisar), Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana)… And the French: Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R), Mathieu Burgaudeau (Total Direct Energies), Warren Barguil (DSM), Julien Bernard (Trek) and the Groupama-FDJ trio David Gaudu, Valentin Madouas and Romain Gréogoire.

Pogacar’s team accelerated on the descent to make a break. It took an effort for Roglic and Carapaz, even if everyone has now regrouped.

It will be really complicated for the breakaway to play for victory if Vingegaard and Pogacar decide to go on the offensive.

Now, the riders are on the descent and heading towards the big part of the day: the Galibier and its 23km long climb.

Madouas is beaten in the sprint for the mountain classification by Williams and Barguil. 5 points to the first, 3 points to the second and 2 points for the Groupama rider.

The Montgenevre pass did not give rise to any movements. 2’30 lead for the breakaway.

After a lot of activity while the breakaway was forming, the stage became calmer. The explanations will probably take place in the Galibier.

The lead has now exceeded three minutes for the first time, making Odd Christian Eiking the provisional yellow jersey.

8.3 km at 6% for a second category pass… And above all, an imminent arrival in France.

After a completely botched start to the Tour, with leaders (Gaudu, Martinez) out of form, Groupama-FDJ is forced to try for stage victories. With three riders at the front, it is currently the biggest force in the breakaway, which is struggling to dig in.

Long descent started, heading towards the Montgenèvre pass.

Very low temperatures are forecast on the slopes of Galibier… But for the moment, towards Sestriere, it’s rather the opposite: the peloton is getting wet.

Stephen Williams sprinted to beat Madouas at the top of Sestriere. 5 points for the Briton, 3 for the Frenchman, who is getting a little closer to the jersey.

Still two minutes ahead for the breakaway, while UAE controls behind. Pogacar will surely try his luck in the Galibier.

The peloton is not doing so well: dropped at the start of the stage, Van Aert and Bernal have caught up again thanks to a slight slackening.

The Frenchman is already second in the best climber ranking, with 11 points, behind Jonas Abrahamsen (24 points). The Norwegian is not in the breakaway, so he has a good opportunity to make up the deficit.

The gap is widening: two minutes ahead for the breakaway, where Groupama is doing the job. But it will probably take a lot more to approach the Galibier with a chance of victory.

The UAE are still leading the pack and are not giving up too much ground. But no favourites or even teammates from big teams are at the front, which is not too much of a threat.

It is not yet 100% done, but a first large group has managed to take the lead on the slopes of Sestriere. It is made up of 17 riders, including David Gaudu, Valentin Madouas and Mathieu van der Poel.

Several attempts have already been made to get ahead, although no breakaway has managed to get away so far. Romain Grégoire and David Gaudu have been on the offensive for the French side.

Wout van Aert, Arnaud De Lie, Mark Cavendish… A big gruppetto is forming, with most of the sprinters.

Among the outsiders to victory in the Tour, Primoz Roglic dropped a few meters, before being pulled to the peloton by his teammates. Concern for the Slovenian.

It’s clearly not a great day for the very young climber from Groupama-FDJ, dropped from the peloton on the first slopes towards Sestriere.

In front of Biniam Girmay. They will be at war for the green jersey until the end of the Tour de France, no doubt.

As we start the first climb of the day, towards Sestriere. It is very very very very long, 37 kilometers, but not very steep (3.7% average). A real climb of attrition. These are the men mentioned below, led by Mads Pedersen, looking for the points of the green jersey with an intermediate sprint in a few kilometers.

Saturday’s hero, who gave Romain Bardet his yellow jersey, is making new groups of those trying to escape. But for the moment, there is no real gap in the peloton.

Obviously, on a stage like this, places at the front are expensive and everyone is hoping for a stage victory.

Note that the Tour de France is still in Italy, but will switch at km 71 of this stage (around 3:30 p.m.) on the climb to Montgenèvre to cross the French border.

A few kilometers to warm up from Pinerolo, where this stage starts. And then, the real start in a few minutes

Yesterday, Eritrean Biniam Girmay became the first black rider to win a stage of the Tour de France in a sprint in Turin. Enough to create a scene of immense joy in his team car.

30 points will be distributed today in the mountain ranking…

1. Richard Carapaz (COL/EF Education – Easypost) in 15h20′18″

2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO/UAE-Emirates) at 0″

3. Remco Evenepoel (BEL/Soudal Quick-Step) at 0″

4. Jonas Vingegaard (DAN/Visma Lease a Bike) at 0″

5. Romain Bardet (FRA/Team DSM – Firmenich) at 6″

6. Pello Bilbao (ESP/Bahrain Victorious) at 21″

7. Guillaume Martin (FRA/Cofidis) at 21″

8. Egan Bernal (COL/Ineos Grenadiers) at 21″

9. Jay Hindley (AUS/Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) at 21″

10. Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-BoraHansgrohe) at 21″

Speaking to Eurosport, Romain Bardet shared his ambitions for this stage, he who is six seconds behind Carapaz in the general standings. “It would be stupid not to give it our all, especially since we are over 2000 meters. These are passes that suit me well. (…) If I have the legs, I will attack, that’s for sure!”

Dane Casper Pedersen (Soudal Quick-Step) broke his collarbone in a fall yesterday in the final in Turin. He will not start in a short time.

At 2,642 metres above sea level, the pass is the second highest peak in this Tour de France. And could be the scene of a showdown between the main favourites.

Hello everyone and welcome to this live dedicated to the fourth stage of the Tour de France 2024 between Pinerolo and Valloire.