Tour de France 2019: Stage four preview – route from Reims to Nancy sets up for showdown between alpha sprinters

For the GC riders like Geraint Thomas, Egan Bernal, Steven Kruijswijk, Thibaut Pinot and Simon Yates, staying out of trouble is always the primary goal here

On the face of it, stage four looks similar to stage three. At 213.5km it is almost exactly the same distance, as the race weaves east from Reims through the Champagne vineyards to the city of Nancy. But where a run of sharp categorised climbs waited at the end of stage three, like landmines splitting the field, stage four’s two categorised climbs are further apart and much less severe.

It means the puncheurs will probably fail if they try to burst away from the peloton over the last climb, as Julian Alaphilippe did so masterfully on Monday. Alaphilippe’s goal will simply be to retain the yellow jersey, while those teams with elite sprinters will surely not pass up the chance to reel in any escapees and set up their power men for another chance at a stage win, after the favourites all failed in various ways on stage one in Brussels.

The finale in Nancy is particularly inviting for sprinters, with a long flat drag of around 1.5km – provided the sprinters’ lead-out trains can navigate the sharp left-hander which comes before.

Lotto-Soudal will put everything into Caleb Ewan’s chances, and likewise Quick-Step are likely to work almost exclusively for Elia Viviani. After his crash on route to the opening stage, the impressive Jumba-Visma’s Dylan Groenewegen will be desperate not to miss another opportunity.

Stage four heads through France’s Champagne region (letour)

The profile looks set for the sprinters despite a late climb (letour)

For GC riders like Geraint Thomas, Egan Bernal, Steven Kruijswijk, Thibaut Pinot and Simon Yates, staying out of trouble is the primary goal here, particularly towards the end as the various teams gunning for the stage win try to force their way through to the front.

This Tour has thrown up three very different but equally dramatic and entertaining stages so far. Stage four might be a more straightforward day, but it has the potential to provide a thrilling showdown between some of the alpha sprinters on the streets of Nancy.