Tour de France 2015: Tony Martin soloes to yellow in cobbled stage 4

The cobbled stage is in 223.5 kilometres the longest of the 2015 Tour de France. Contador and Quintana survive the pavé, despite attacks by Nibali adn Froome. Tony Martin accelerates in the last 4 kilometres and soloes to victory. As he is only 1 second down on leader Froome the German is the new overall leader. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 4th stage Tour de France

1. Tony Martin (ger)
2. John Degenkolb (ger) + 0.03
3. Peter Sagan (svk) s.t.
4. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) s.t.
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (nor) s.t.
6. Nacer Bouhanni (fra) s.t.
7. Jacopo Guarnieri (ita) s.t.
8. Tony Gallopin (fra) s.t.
9. Zdenek Stybar (cze) s.t.
10. Bryan Coquard (fra) s.t.

11. Alejandro Valverde (sspa) s.t.
13. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.
14. Robert Gesink (nld) s.t.
15. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) s.t.
16. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
17. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
18. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
19. Alberto Contador (spa) s.t.
20. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa) s.t.
23. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.

GC after stage 4
1. Tony Martin (ger)
2. Chris Froome (gbr) + 0.12
3. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 0.25
4. Tony Gallopin (fra) + 0.38
5. Peter Sagan (svk) + 0.39
6. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) + 0.40
7. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.46
8. Alberto Contador (spa) + 0.48
9. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 1.15
10. Zdenek Stynar (cze) + 1.16

11. Warren Barguil (fra) + 1.19
12. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 1.44
13. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 1.50
14. Robert Gesink (nld) + 1.51
16. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 2.03
17. Nairo Quintana (col) + 2.08
18. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa) + 2.12
19. Jean-Christophe Peraud (fra) + 2.19
21. Romain Bardet (fra) + 3.06
30. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 6.03

Race results
Escapees Thomas De Gendt, Lieuwe Westra, Frederic Brun and Perrig Quemeneur race to a maximum gain of 9 minutes. It goes down to 1 minute when hitting the first cobbled sector and then the advantage rebounds to 4 minutes, before it yo-yos back to 1 minute.

At the third stretch of pavé – 80 km’s after the first – the escapees are reeled in and Nibali et al set the pace. The same at the fourth and fifth sector en despite Pinot struggling all GC men survive.

It’s at Fontaine-au-Tertre à Quiévy, with 3.7 km’s the longest sector, Pinot punctures and can say goodbye to his overall ambitions.

Th last pavé, Avesnes-les-Aubert à Carnières, is 2,3 km’s and, again, Nibali attacks. Stybar takes over and with 10 km’s left a front group of eight leave the cobbles. Despite Froome, Nibali and Van Garderen aboard no collaboration and Contador’s men bridge the gap, bringing Quintana back on track also.

With 3.3 km’s left Tony Martin accelerates. No reaction and the German Pantzerwagen soloes to victory. As he is only 1 second down on Froome in the GC he is the new man in yellow. Degenkolb finishes second, Sagan third.

All GC men, with the exception of Pinot, survive the cobbles