2012 Tour de France, Stage 4 Results

Once the escape of the day reached an advantage of almost nine minutes the Lotto-Belisol team moved up to the front of the peloton and began to consider the sprint that was expected in Rouen. Although it was the fourth longest stage of the 2012 Tour de France, from Abbeville to Rouen, the real action came in the final three kilometers. That's when the jostling for position started in earnest and the lead-out trains started to form. Up near the head of the peloton, however, a touch of wheels at the speed that's required to hold off any ambitious attack can be treacherous; alas, that's just what happened. Robbie Hunter, slipped and thudded down onto the road and, right beside him, Mark Cavendish couldn't save himself. He too was taken out of the sprint equation. The crash took place with less than 3 km to go so there were no times losses for those involved.

Up ahead, Lotto-Belisol finished off what they started early in the stage. With four from the Belgian team at the head of the peloton leading in to the final kilometer André Greipel was delivered to perfection. Greg Henderson was the last man ahead of him and, once the New Zealander peeled off, the German simply drag raced the others, including Petacchi who finished second, to the line. No one could match is pace and the veteran sprinter earned his stage victory, and second ever Tour victory.

There were no changes at the top of the GC, and Cancellara will continue his hold on the yellow jersey.

"I'm so happy today. I am so happy to have those guys on my side, such strong riders to lead me out. This is what we wanted to reach today, winning a stage," Greipel said at the finish.

"My team mates prepared the sprint in the best way possible and thanks to them I avoided the crash," said Petacchi. "My position in the approach to the sprint was very good, I was on the tail of the Greipel train. I waited until he made the first move and then I tried to overtake him but André was great. I don't think I could have done anything better so my best compliments to Greipel".

Note:  Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank) withdrew before the start of today's stage as a result from an injury in a crash yesterday.

Tomorrow: Stage 5, Rouen-Saint-Quentin, 196.5 km. TdF analysis by Jean-François Pescheux:
"I have already cited Jacques Anquetil, and now it is time to mention Jean Robic, since the stage will start at the foot of the Côte de Bonsecours, right where a stele commemorates his historic exploit. And what an exploit it was, with a 130 km breakaway to defeat Brambilla and take the yellow jersey in the last stage of the 1947 Tour de France! Having said that, today's stage to Saint-Quentin should play into the sprinters' hands. We expect the bunch to ride fast on an awe-inspiring course which is usually home to the Tour of Picardy. May I say that I am personally quite fond of this region?"

GC:

1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan 20:04:02
2 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:07
3 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
4 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:10
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:00:11
6 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:00:13
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:17
8 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:18
9 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Sharp
10 Andreas Klöden (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:19
11 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:21
12 Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:22
13 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
14 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
15 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:23
16 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
17 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
18 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:00:24
19 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan
20 Wouter Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
21 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:25
22 Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Procycling
23 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:26
24 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:00:28
25 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:00:29
26 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
27 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:35
28 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team
29 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:37
30 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
31 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:38
32 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
33 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:40
34 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana Pro Team 0:00:42
35 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team
36 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:00:43
37 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:45
38 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
39 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:00:47
40 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:48
41 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:53
42 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
43 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Katusha Team 0:00:57
44 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:00
45 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:01:01
46 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:24
47 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan 0:01:29
48 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:01:30
49 Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan 0:01:38
50 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:01:41
51 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 0:01:42
52 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:55
53 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar 0:02:03
54 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:02:09
55 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:02:22
56 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:02:27
57 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:02:29
58 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:02:40
59 Baden Cooke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:02:46
60 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:52
61 Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:02:54
62 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:02:59
63 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:03:08
64 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:03:17
65 Federico Canuti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:18
66 Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar 0:03:34
67 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:03:44
68 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
69 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:03:50
70 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:01
71 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:04:03
72 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:04:04
73 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
74 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:04:10
75 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:04:14
76 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:04:15
77 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:04:18
78 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team 0:04:21
79 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:04:30
80 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:04:47
81 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:04:58
82 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Movistar Team 0:04:59
83 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:05:07
84 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Movistar Team 0:05:12
85 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:05:16
86 Alexandr Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:05:24
87 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp 0:05:28
88 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:06:00
89 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:06:20
90 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:06:22
91 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:06:23
92 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:06:29
93 Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:06:30
94 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:06:32
95 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan 0:06:43
96 Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team 0:06:54
97 Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:07:02
98 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team
99 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
100 Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:07:05
101 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:07:12
102 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:07:29
103 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:07:46
104 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:07:58
105 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team 0:08:03
106 Dominik Nerz (Ger) Liquigas-Cannondale
107 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
108 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:08:04
109 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar 0:08:19
110 Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:08:28
111 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:08:32
112 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar 0:08:34
113 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar 0:08:35
114 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:08:36
115 Juan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Katusha Team
116 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:08:46
117 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:08:47
118 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
119 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 0:08:48
120 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD 0:08:49
121 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:08:56
122 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team
123 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 0:08:59
124 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:09:13
125 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:09:42
126 Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar 0:09:47
127 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:09:50
128 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:09:56
129 Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:09:57
130 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:10:03
131 Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:10:10
132 Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:10:16
133 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:10:17
134 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
135 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat 0:10:22
136 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:10:25
137 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar 0:10:30
138 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:10:36
139 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:10:45
140 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:10:53
141 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:10:57
142 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:11:05
143 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
144 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:11:07
145 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:11:20
146 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:11:33
147 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:11:38
148 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:11:43
149 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team 0:11:45
150 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:11:50
151 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:11:51
152 Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
153 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre - ISD 0:11:59
154 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:12:02
155 Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar 0:12:11
156 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Sharp
157 Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:12:14
158 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
159 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling 0:12:21
160 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Lampre - ISD 0:12:32
161 Julien Simon (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:12:45
162 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:12:52
163 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:12:54
164 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team 0:12:55
165 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Movistar Team 0:12:59
166 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:13:00
167 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Sharp 0:13:04
168 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin - Sharp 0:13:13
169 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:13:26
170 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:13:38
171 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:13:43
172 Yuriy Krivtsov (Fra) Lampre - ISD 0:13:56
173 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:14:33
174 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:14:48
175 Tom Veelers (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:14:51
176 Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:15:41
177 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:15:56
178 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:15:57
179 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:16:07
180 Yann Huguet (Fra) Argos-Shimano 0:17:42
181 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
182 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team 0:18:03
183 Simone Stortoni (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:18:26
184 Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:18:59
185 Roy Curvers (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:19:10
186 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Argos-Shimano 0:19:12
187 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:19:41
188 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:20:02
189 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:21:07
190 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:21:51
191 Albert Timmer (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:22:53
192 Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:26:14
193 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:26:39
194 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:32:43
195 Brice Feillu (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:35:03

Photos: Bettini

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