#TDF2015 Stage 4 Triumph for determined Tony Martin – Noir day for Pinot!

 Top 21 finishers : Tony Martin takes Stage and Yellow

Overall after Stage 4: Tony Martin 

has a 12 seconds lead from Chris Froome

Despite having a puncture just before the last section of cobbles and swopping his bike for that of his teammate Matteo Trentin, Tony Martin was still able to launch a solo attack from the leading group three kilometres from the finish. Helped by hesitation amongst the group Martin managed to stay away to win by three seconds and take the Yellow Jersey from Chris Froome by 12 seconds. His victory is his 5th TdF stage and the first time he has worn Yellow. This has made up for the disappointments of the first three stages where Tony missed out on winning the time trial by five seconds and then for the next two stages missing Yellow by just a second.

Although a supreme time triallist Martin's feat was all the more impressive because of the long chase to get back to the leading group following his puncture and that Trentin's bike was set up differently from his – higher saddle and brakes differently arranged. 

Tony Martin should be able to hold the Yellow Jersey for the next few days and possibly until next Tuesday's first stage in the Pyrénnées. The leading GC contenders are likely be happy to see Martin in Yellow as he is no overall threat.

The good thing from yesterday's stage is that all of the leading contenders came through the cobbled stage without injury or losing time.

The list of all time Tour de France stage winners has been updated here to include Tony Martin's stage win yesterday.   

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Noir day for Pinot 

In marked contrast to Martin, Thibaut Pinot had another nightmare day. Having a mechanical probem at the same time as Martin, he declined the offer of a teammate's bike and waiting for the team car, which inevitably took a while to come. The wait caused Pinot to lose his cool as he did again a bit further on when had further mechanical problems – a puncture. Overall he lost 3.23 on the stage.

It looks like Thibaut has found being one of the big French hopes too much and hasn't been able to handle the pressure. After a good opening time trial he was caught out by the wind and the splits in the peloton on Stage 2 and then didn't have the legs for Stage 3 and the climb of Le Mur de Huy. He is now 6.30 down on Chris Froome, so his hopes of a podium place must have evaporated. 

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Stage 5: Arras to Amiens 189.5 kms

 

A sprint to Amiens 

Provided cross winds don't play a part, this should end up a mass bunch sprint with these riders amongst the favourites: André Griepel, Mark Cavendish, Alexander Kristoff, Bryam Coquard and Nacer Bouhanni. Peter Sagan will be up there but it would be a surprise if he won this bunch sprint.           

 

Serious crashes mar Stage 3 – won by Joaquin Rodriguez with Chris Froome grabbing Yellow

 Joaquin Rodriguez triumphs on Le Mur

Chris Froome snatches Yellow by one second from Tony Martin

Unfortunately two crashes marred yesterday's Stage 3 that finished on top of Le Mur de Huy. The second was poarticularly serious and led to the race being neutralised due to the number of medics and ambulances tending to injoured riders. It also led to the abandonment, after finishing, of the Yellow Jersey – Fabian Cancellara – with two fractured vertebrae a very sad way for Cancellara to finish what may have been his last Tour de France.  William Bonnet, who was the first to crash, Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, Australia's Simon Gerrans, South African Daryl Impey and Dmitry Kozontchuk (Russia) also abandoned. 

Joaquin 'Purito' Rodriguez won the steep climb to the top of Le Mur de Huy with Chris Froome just behind on the same time and gaining a six second time bonus. Alexis Vuillermoz was third with Dan Martin in 4th. Although Le Mur is only 1.3 kilometres long its steepest gradient – given as anything between 20% and 26%, there were some significant time gaps. Amongst the overall favourites Tejay Van Garderen, Bauke Mollema, Vincenzo Nibali, Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde lost 11 seconds to Froome (before adding the six second bonus), Contador (18), Rigoberto Uran (34), Romain Bardet (36) and Thibaut Pinot (1' 33"). 

Overall Froome now leads his rivals by: Van Garderen (13"), Uran (34"), Contador (36"), Mollema (1' 32), Nibali (1' 38"), Valverde (1' 51"), Rodriguez (2'), Bardet (2' 54") and Pinot (2' 58").     

  

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Stage 4: Seraing to Cambrai

Today's stage at 223.5 kms is the longest of the 2015 edition and includes seven sections of cobbles totalling 13 kilometres. Although in contrast to last year's awful wet conditions, the forecast is for the dry weather to continue during the day with the possibility of rain in the evening after the stage has finished.

Even so today's stage will surely shake up overall standings again. Will Froome come through unscathed in marked contrast to last year when a wrist injury forced him to abandon before the race hit the cobbles. Nibali, who rode so well last year, will be looking to repeat his performance and grab back some time.

Cancellara would have been amongst the favourites to win today.  

Update: The possibility of rain at the end of the stage appears to have increased.

#TDF2015: Griepel wins in Zealande, Yellow for Cancellara – Belgian classic today

Stage 2: From Griepel first up to 17th

The potential chaos for chaos in Stage 2 duly arrived with wind and rain ripping the peloton to pieces with some of the overall contenders notably Nibali, Quintana and Pinot losing significant time on Froome, Contador and Van Garderen. First of the leading contenders is Van Garderen on 44''. He is followed by Froome (48''), Contador (1 minute), Pinot (2'07"), Nibali (2'09"), Valverde (2'22") and Quintana (2'27").

However, a rider like Nibali, may well make up some or all of this deficit on tomorrow's cobbled stage to Cambrai.

Despite having plenty of team mates in the leading group Mark Cavendish didn't win the sprint coming in fourth after André Griepel, Peter Sagan and Fabian Cancellara. Mark afterwards complained that Mark Renshaw, normally such a reliable leadout man, had peeling off too early leaving him to sprint 300 metres rather than his preferred 200 metres. Mark's fourth place and Cancellara's third meant that Tony Martin missed out on the Yellow Jersey as Fabian's bonus seconds put him in Yellow instead. 

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Stage 3: Antwerp to Huy  

 

  Profile of Stage 3 with plenty of sharp climbs 

towards end of stage finishing with Mur de Huy 

The tough end to Stage 2 could see further time gaps between some of the overall contenders as the stage ends with the ascent of the Mur de Huy with an average gradient of 9% but with parts up to around 20%. This climb features in the La Flèche Wallonne won this year by Alejandro Valverde, who must fancy his chances for a repeat performance today.