Tour de France 2016 Stage 4: Kittel outsprints Coquard by millimetres, Sagan retains in lead

Leading to a tricky finale, stage 4 is the longest in the 2016 Tour de France. On the slightly uphill arrival Marcel Kittel outsprints Bryan Coquard by the tiniest of margins. Peter Sagan retains in the overall lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 4th stage Tour de France 2016

1. Marcel Kittel (ger)
2. Bryan Coquard (fra) s.t.
3. Peter Sagan (svk) s.t.
4. Dylan Groenewegen (nld) s.t.
5. Alexander Kristoff (nor) s.t.
6. Sondre Holst Enger (nor) s.t.
7. Daniel Mc Lay (gbr) s.t.
8. Mark Cavendish (gbr) s.t.
9. Samuel Dumoulin (fra) s.t.
10. Simon Gerrans (aus) s.t.

GC after stage 4
1. Peter Sagan (svk)
2. Julian Alaphilippe (fra) + 0.12
3. Alejandro Valverde (spa) + 0.18
4. Warren Barguil (fra) + 0.18
5. Chris Froome (gbr) s.t.
6. Roman Kreuziger (cze) s.t.
7. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
8. Fabio Aru (ita) s.t.
9. Michael Matthews (aus) s.t.
10. Pierre Rolland (fra) s.t.
13. Daniel Martin (irl) s.t.
14. Wilco Kelderman (nld) s.t.
18. Romain Bardet (bel) s.t.
21. Tom Dumoulin (nld) s.t.
22. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
26. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa) s.t.
31. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 0.29
54. Alberto Contador (spa) + 1.06
71. Richie Porte (aus) + 2.03

Race report
With around 20 kms done De Gendt, Vermote, Bodnar, Irizar, Berhane, Schillinger and Impey jump clear, but it’s only Markel Irizar and Andreas Schillinger who push on. They are accompanied by Oliver Naesen and Alexis Gougeard and the quartet races to a maximum gain at over 6 minutes.

Gougeard is dropped with 40 kms remaining, while the other three are reeled in with 8 kms to go.

In the uphill sprint Marcel Kittel bests Bryan Coquard in Cav-like fashion, so Coquard now feels the pain Greipel felt yesterday .