Mathieu van der Poel kept the yellow jersey on 4 July 2021 after a chaotic sprint finish on Stage 4 of the Tour de France in Redon, while Mark Cavendish celebrated his 31st stage victory.
How did the stage unfold?
The fourth day started with 177 riders rolling out of Redon. Caleb Ewan was the only non‑starter. Early on, Brent Van Moer (Lotto‑Soudal) launched an attack at kilometre 10, forcing Pierre‑Luc Périchon (Cofidis) to join him. Their duo built a gap of 2 minutes 50 seconds by kilometre 38, prompting the peloton to give chase.
What role did van der Poel play?
Alpecin‑Fenix set the tempo for the race leader, Mathieu van der Poel, with Kristian Sbaragli pulling at the front for a long stretch. The team’s work kept the gap steady around two minutes, allowing van der Poel to stay comfortably in the overall lead as the sprint approached.
Who contested the sprint?
At the intermediate sprint in Vitré (km 114), Van Moer outsprinted Périchon, while the main bunch trailed by 1 minute 20 seconds. With 15 km left, the gap shrank to 30 seconds as Ineos Grenadiers accelerated. Van Moer broke away solo 14 km from the finish, extending his lead to just under a minute before being caught with 150 m to go.
What was the final outcome?
Mark Cavendish, riding for Deceuninck‑Quick Step, timed his sprint perfectly and surged past Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin‑Fenix) to claim the stage win – his 31st in the Tour, three shy of Eddy Merckx’s record. Cavendish, 36, also reclaimed the green jersey he first wore in 2011. Meanwhile, van der Poel crossed the line still in the Maillot Jaune, preserving his lead ahead of the first individual time trial.
Why does this matter for van der Poel?
Holding the yellow jersey after a sprint‑heavy stage shows van der Poel’s versatility beyond his usual attacking style. The Alpecin‑Fenix squad’s ability to control the race and keep the leader’s time gap intact demonstrates strategic depth, positioning him well for the upcoming time trial where any loss could reshuffle the general classification.
What’s next for the race?
The next day features the first individual time trial, a discipline where van der Poel’s strong engine will be tested against pure specialists. A solid performance could extend his lead; a slip might hand the yellow jersey to a time‑trial ace. All eyes will be on how the Alpecin‑Fenix team supports their leader in the crucial hours ahead.