After the opening trilogy in Denmark, the 109th Tour de France continues in the north of France. Over 171.5 hilly kilometres, the route leads from Dunkirk in a large southern arc to the neighbouring town of Calais. Breakaways are likely to be in with a chance on this fourth stage.
Van Aert
He may have the leader's yellow jersey, but so far only three second places. On the fourth stage, Wout van Aert finally wants his first stage win - if only to boost his own spirits. "I have to force myself to be happy," said the Belgian about his yellow jersey. Victories are much more important to van Aert than just being the placeholder in the overall standings.
Northwest
On the stages in Denmark, the wind mostly blew from the front. The dreaded wind edges did not materialise and some riders described the stages as a training ride. There could be action on the last 20 kilometres to Calais. The wind is expected to come from the north-west and therefore from the side. This could lead to nervousness in the peloton.
Cote du Cap Blanc-Nez
The bare figures are not exactly terrifying. The Cote du Cap Blanc-Nez is 900 metres long and has an average gradient of 7.5 per cent. For most sprinters, however, the hill 11.5 kilometres before the finish will probably be too difficult. The climb on the Channel coast is likely to be the key section of the stage, with teams of sprinters with a strong climbing ability such as van Aert or Peter Sagan putting the pressure on.
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