Third place on the 4th stage of the tour
Bauhaus defies fall festival at Philipsen victory
7/4/2023 5:59 p.m
Before the first endurance test in the Pyrenees, the sprinters can shine again at the Tour de France. However, the final of the fourth stage is overshadowed by three falls. Germany’s Phil Bauhaus is back at the front but will have to cede victory to others.
Phil Bauhaus raced at high speed over the Nogaro motorsport circuit in a wild crash spectacle, but at the finish line he had to admit defeat again despite a great performance. The 28-year-old from Team Bahrain Victorious once again missed the long-awaited first day’s victory in the Tour de France. 24 hours after his surprising second place, Bauhaus ended up third in the next stage four mass sprint win by Belgian Jasper Philipsen.
The Australian Caleb Ewan completed the podium after a stretch that was tough for long stretches but ultimately extremely exciting. The Dutch co-favourite, Fabio Jakobsen, fell shortly before the finish and was unable to take part in the final. Other drivers then fell heavily.
The finale took place over the last 2.3 kilometers on the winding Circuit Paul Armagnac motorsport track. Sprint star Mark Cavendish missed it again on his farewell tour in fifth place to become the sole record stage winner, he continues to share the record with Belgium’s legend Eddy Merckx.
Main field rolls quietly through beautiful landscapes
The top favorites around defending champions Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar had a quiet afternoon the day before the first mountain stage – Pogacar’s teammate Adam Yates easily defended the yellow jersey of the overall leader.
The second flat stage of the tour had previously started in the immediate vicinity of the bullfighting arena in the spa town of Dax. 181.8 kilometers without major challenges had to be overcome. Heading east, the 174 remaining riders rolled through the rugby-crazy southwest of the Grande Nation.
It was much less brutal than playing with the egg on the bikes. Falls, battles for position, and even serious attempts to escape were a long time coming. As on the day before, the peloton largely put up their legs and meandered leisurely through the French countryside. The most important bike race in the world degenerated into a coffee ride – with a view to the upcoming Pyrenees stages, nobody wanted to exhaust themselves.
Two outliers create some excitement
Thanks to the only sprint classification of the day at the cycling pilgrimage site of Notre-Dame des Cyclistes, there was at least a bit of spice in the race with 88 kilometers to go. Monday’s stage winner Philipsen retained the upper hand and sprinted to 20 points in the green jersey battle. Bauhaus, who had struggled the night before with his missed opportunity and formulated offensively to chase a stage win, held back.
The ardent wish for a breakaway group that would speed up the tired affair was fulfilled a little later. The French Benoit Cosnefroy and Anthony Delaplace took pity and forced the sprint teams to form up. However, it only got really interesting for the spectators in the last 20 kilometers, when the leading group was caught up again and the final began.
The coming days promise spectacle right from the start. After the fight between the top favorites Pogacar and Vingegaard had broken out for the first time on the opening weekend, the next exchange of blows should take place in the Pyrenees. On Wednesday, the Col de Soudet, the first climb of the highest category, awaits the riders, the next day it’s over the legendary Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet to the first mountain finish in Cauterets-Cambasque.