Sébastien Rosseler was in the break of the day and slipped away to give RadioShack its first ever win, one day after the American team was handled by Alberto Contador. The latter easily defended his overall lead in today’s flat stage. Rosseler’s closest breakaway companions Mickael Delage, Imanol Erviti Ollo and Preben Van Hecke reached the finish line 20 seconds later, the peloton was three minutes behind.

Rosseler didn’t expect the outcome. “What a surprise!” he said after the stage. “Yesterday I felt so tired, but this morning I was motivated again. I intended to work for Tiago Machado and Levi Leipheimer, to keep them out of the wind but then I saw the opportunity to jump to the breakaway.” Rosseler made his move to the front group after 40km of racing.

“This was maybe a chance to help the Team to a first victory of the season. We all expected a bunch sprint, but as Gert Steegmans is not here any more, we knew we had to take other initiatives. I dedicate this victory to Gert. I hope he will get ready for the first races in Belgium next weekend. I am so happy. Thanks to my team directors.”

The latter gave him the perfect instructions for victory. “I told Séba to attack as the peloton was coming closer,” said Team Director José Azevedo. “It was better to attack when the gap was still three minutes than when it was one minute. It was hard for Séba, but he is so strong.”

The other directory, Dirk Demol, weighed in with some advice for the other breakaway riders. “Never give Rosseler 100 meters advantage. You will not catch him.” Demol paid close attention to how everyone was doing. “We saw that he was the strongest rider uphill. With fast guys like Delage and Keisse, we could not take any risk. What a strong guy Rosseler is! The course was very hard, but he impressed us the whole day. I think we have not yet seen the best of him. Séba is one of our key riders for the classics. I think he will be ready for it.”

It was Rosseler’s seventh win as a professional. He joined the break consisting of Iljo Keisse, Preben Vanhecke, Egoi Martínez, Mickael Delage and Imanol Irviti. The maximum advantage was 5’10. With around 20km to go, Rosseler stormed away and won with 20 seconds.

Results stage four

1. Sébastien Rosseler (RSH) 4h12’46
2. Mickael Delage (OLO) at 0’20
3. Imanol Erviti Ollo (GCE)
4. Preben Van Hecke (TSV)
5. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (EUS) at 0’24
6. Iljo Keisse (QST) at 2’50
7. André Greipel (THR) at 3’00
8. Wouter Weylandt (QST)
9. Samuel Jose Rodrigues Caldeira (PRT)
10. Graeme Brown (RAB)

Overall after stage four

1 Alberto Contador
2 Tiago Machado at  0:15;
3 Levi Leipheimer  0:28;
4 Samuel Sánchez  0:35;
5 Tejay Van Garderen;
6 Rui Costa  0:40;
7 Luis-León Sánchez 0:43;
8 Andreas Klöden
9 Matthew Lloyd;
10 Joaquín Rodriguez