93
15:53
Philipsen takes the 20 points!
Jasper Philipsen invested the most with his team and in the end clinched victory quite confidently. With the 20 points, the Belgian increases his green account to 100 points and thus takes over the virtual maillot Vertv from Victor Lafay, who had completely stayed out of it. Second is Bryan Coquard ahead of Caleb Ewan.
90
15:48
The pace is picked up
A good three kilometers before the sprint classification, the sprinter teams pick up the pace.
88
15:43
Who will grab the 20 points?
The winner of the sprint ranking gets 20 points for the fight for the green jersey. The second gets 17 points, the third 15. In addition to Jasper Philipsen, Fabio Jakobsen and Wout van Aert should have a real interest in the points.
84
15:36
Recharge your batteries
Before we get down to business at least a little, we eat and drink again in the field. At the top it is currently a mixed bag, many teams have one or two drivers with them.
79
15:29
Slowly but surely…
…the sprinter teams look for the spots at the front of the field to get their fast people in position for the upcoming intermediate sprint at Notre Dame des Cyclistes. After all, there are 20 points for the winner and we could at least virtually have a new green bearer.
75
15:19
Increased attention
After the short start of the Belgian group earlier, which immediately tore a big hole, the peloton is now at least a little more attentive. The commands come from the team vehicles to look for good positions in the field and to hold them in case someone else is planning something here.
71
15:13
Bauhaus confident
Phil Bauhaus was completely convincing in his mass sprint on the tour yesterday. The German sees a “great result” in his second place and wants to go even further today: “I don’t have any experience in this area but we have a great team and I’m good at getting behind the wheels so I hope that I can do it today,” said the 28-year-old.
68
15:07
Through the forest
The route currently leads the field through a very green area. Most of the roads lead through the forest, with bushes and trees lining the left and right of the route.
64
15:02
Already over again
Did the Belgian cyclists just joke and get dressed for a moment? In any case, the spook is over and the pace is back.
61
14:59
Something’s going on!
At the very front, some pedalers are now stepping in and tearing a gap into the surprised main field at 60 km/h. Apparently they are mainly Belgians, and Wout van Aert is also involved. What exactly that will be is still unclear.
58
14:58
swimming break?
The field is currently passing Lac de Peyrot in the Maurrin Nature Reserve. The drivers should probably be welcome to cool off a bit, but the guys here don’t do it quite as a hobby. Even if it looks like it.
54
14:53
Good vibes everywhere
In the villages that are currently being crossed by the drivers, there is always a lot going on along the route. Fans and residents wave and cheer at the drivers, who smile happily back. After all, they are not stressed. The only thing missing is someone stopping for a selfie.
50
14:45
Philipsen wants to strike again
The winner of yesterday’s first mass sprint of the 110th Tour de France, Jasper Philipsen, had made it clear in advance that he “wanted to do it again today”. The Belgian warned his team to “stay focused” and expects an “even faster” sprint at the Circuit Paul-Armagnac in Nogaro. “It should be a really cool mass sprint,” believes Philipsen.
45
14:37
50 kilometers to go until the sprint classification
At kilometer 93.6 the points will be awarded in the intermediate sprint. Until then we will have to be patient before a driver breaks the 40 km/h. The slow train continues to trundle through the French Basque country.
40
14:29
Happy 4th of July!
On this day, despite the hopeless situation, who could want to venture out on a horseback here and maybe land a coup? Sepp Kuss, Neilson Powless, Quinn Simmons, Matteo Jorgenson, Kevin Vermaerke and Lawson Craddock would at least have a reason, because what could be nicer than winning a stage in the world’s largest bicycle race as an American on Independence Day?
37
14:21
One hour cycled
The riders have now spent exactly one hour on their bikes and covered exactly 36.5 kilometers. Slowly but surely the fans have to get used to the fact that today there will be no more breakaways and that things will only really get faster with 20-30 kilometers to go.
34
14:17
Soudal Quick Step
Some time ago, the Soudal Quick-Step team was at the top of the field. With Fabio Jakobsen, the Belgian cycling team naturally also has a top sprinter in its ranks, who is going to fight for the day’s victory today. However, Soudal Quick-Step has not really had anything to control so far, because little is happening.
30
14:12
Flying Cyclist
Nothing else happens on the route, but off-road entertainment is provided. A large excavator has positioned itself in a meadow and has tied a cyclist to its shovel high in the air, who is now cycling spectacularly in a circle through the air.
26
14:06
pee break
Individual drivers keep stopping at the edge to relieve themselves. After all, you have to drink a lot at these temperatures. And since you don’t have to worry about missing the connection, all drivers can now do their business in a relaxed manner.
22
13:58
174 drivers
176 riders started this Tour de France, 174 are still there. Only Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz had to give up after their falls. The remaining 174 continue to cycle comfortably and chat with each other.
18
13:54
Casual group outing
So far, recreational cyclists have also been able to keep up. The field is traveling at approx. 35 km/h and everyone has time to look at nature and the towns in peace. For your orientation: On such a flat stage, an average speed of 43 km/h is considered slow. So here is really dawdling.
16
1:47 p.m
That was nothing
Something didn’t fit among the supposed outliers. The quartet has already been collected by the peloton without any special effort being required.
14
13:44
Action!
Well finally! Four riders step on the pedals and jump a few meters away. However, Gogl, Stuyven, Vermeersch and Abrahamsen are not quite in agreement on how seriously they mean it. The atmosphere in the main field is still relaxed.
13.
13:43
Late arrival?
It had been calculated in advance that the stage should end between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. If things continue at this pace here, the drivers won’t be arriving in Nogaro until after 6 p.m.
10
1:35 p.m
Final on the race track
In just under four hours, this stage will end in the village of Nogaro. After the winding drama of the final kilometers of the last stage, there should be enough room for everyone today. The showdown takes place on the Paul Armagnac race track, which of course offers perfect terrain for sprinters. Incidentally, this is the first time that a stage of the tour ends in Nogaro.
7.
13:31
is it quiet
The drivers continue to chat and only move forward at a leisurely pace. Perhaps the probability of a mass sprint is so high today that individual drivers or teams do not even try to get away from the field and prefer to save energy for the next few days. After all, it’s off to the Pyrenees tomorrow and the first mountain of the highest category is on the agenda.
4.
13:26
slow start
So far nothing has happened at the top of the field. The field is cycling along comfortably and nobody has announced ambitions for a breakaway attempt.
1.
13:22
Sharp start
Let’s go! Tour Director Christian Prudhomme has officially approved the race.
13:21
Get out of Dax
Now the field is rolling out of Dax and the streets are getting wider. Giulio Ciccone already had a wheel defect in the neutralized zone, but he caught up with the field again. The sharp start can therefore take place immediately.
13:18
Good conditions
Contrary to yesterday’s announcement, it didn’t get too hot today. It’s currently around 24 degrees Celsius, and there’s almost no wind. So everything is set for a great race day!
13:11
Here we go!
The field is on its way! The drivers roll comfortably through the city for almost five kilometers, then things get serious.
13:06
The jerseys
Adam Yates drives on in yellow. As far as I can judge, nothing will change on today’s stage. The polka dot jersey is also sure to remain in Nelson Powless’s possession as only one mountain point is awarded today and the American is already eleven points ahead of Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian continues to drive in white. The most exciting question is who will be allowed to wear green tomorrow. The Maillot Vert is still owned by Victor Lafay because he is ahead of Jasper Philipsen in the overall standings. Since today with intermediate sprint (20) and final sprint (50) a whopping 70 points can be scored, a number of other sprinters also have a chance of getting the green jersey.
13:00
Can Bauhaus annoy Philipsen?
After his triumph yesterday, Jasper Philipsen is still the top favorite for the stage win today. The Belgian had the best speed yesterday and, with a day’s win in his pocket, can now approach the race with ease. In addition, Philipsen probably has the best sprint train with his fast preparers Jonas Rickaert and Mathieu van der Poel, especially on a long home stretch like in Nogaro. Phil Bauhaus, among others, wants to counteract this. The 28-year-old was really strong yesterday and missed the first German day’s victory on this tour by just a few centimetres. Caleb Ewan, Fabio Jakobsen, Wout van Aert and Mark Cavendish are also capable of a lot today.
12:54
The stage profile
On the 182 kilometers from Dax to Nogaro, the greatest challenge for the drivers is likely to be the heat. The route is mostly flat, with just 30km to go in a category 4 climb on the Côte de Dému, there’s a bit of a climb. Before that, the sprint classification is completed at kilometer 93 at Notre Dame des Cyclistes. The last few kilometers are a bit curvy again, but the last 800 meters are dead straight, in contrast to yesterday, and made for really fast people.
12:48 p.m
Next chance for the sprinters
Too many stages this year are not tailored for the fast people in the field. After yesterday’s success of Jasper Philipsen in Bayonne, today’s winner should again be determined by a mass sprint, as long as the teams interested in it keep the field together and don’t leave out any breakaways. For the time being it is probably the last chance for the sprinters, because tomorrow is the day on this extremely demanding tour in the Pyrenees.
12:44
Welcome
Hello and welcome to the fourth stage of the 2023 Tour de France! On this sunny Tuesday, the route from Dax to Nogaro covers a distance of 182 kilometers that is almost entirely flat.