Final climb breaks the peloton into pieces as David Boily holds the race lead
Nikias Arndt (Germany) won the fourth stage of the Tour de l’Avenir between Porrentruy and Arbois at the head of a thirty-strong peloton that had broken up on the final climb. The German sprinter beat Romain Bardet (France) into second place, with Simon Yates (Great Britain) in third, at the end of a stage dominated by a two-man breakaway that was closed down close to the finish.
Starting without the previous day’s winner, and second place overall, Michael Hepburn (Australia) after he was withdrawn by his team for making an offensive gesture after crossing the line, the peloton made a fast start to the 153km stage.
After mountains leader Garikoitz Bravo (Spain) and Tim Wellens (Belgium) had fought over the two early 2nd category climbs of the stage – the Col de Montvoie and the Côte de Chauvilliers – Lawrence Warbasse (USA) and Abdraimzhan Ishanov (Kazakhstan) escaped at the 30km point. The two riders managed to build a lead of three and half minutes in the middle of the stage, before the peloton began to pull them back.
Ishanov led Warbasse over the 3rd category Côte de Mont Joly after 77km, then the first intermediate sprint in Levier after 119km. The American then took the second sprint in Cernans after 135km, but the peloton was right on their heels at that point and they were caught at the foot of the Côte de Bracon, the final climb of the day.
On the final 3rd category climb the pace set at the front of the peloton was enough to split the bunch into several pieces, with only thirty riders arriving to contest the sprint.
David Boily (Canada) was present in the front group, finishing in twentieth place, and so holds on to the yellow jersey for another day.
Result stage 4
1. Nikias Arndt (Ger) German National Team
2. Romain Bardet (Fra) France National Team
3. Simon Yates (GBr) Great Britain National Team
4. Raymond Kreder (Ned) Netherlands National Team
5. Jordi Simon (Spa) Spanish National Team
6. Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Belgium National Team
7. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan National Team
8. Asbjorn Kragh Andersen (Nor) Norway National Team
9. Patrick Konrad (Aut) Austrian National Team
10. Esteban Chaves (Col) Colombian National Team
Standings after stage 4
1. David Boily (Can) Canadian National Team
2. Christopher Juul-Jensen (Den) Denmark National Team @ 34s
3. Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Norway National Team @ 38s
4. Jordi Simon (Spa) Spanish National Team @ 41s
5. Esteban Chaves (Col) Colombian National Team @ 45s
6. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Italian National Team @ 46s
7. Mark Christian (GBr) Great Britain National Team @ 1’21”
8. Geog Preidler (Aut) Austrian National Team @ 1’29”
9. Tom Dumolin (Ned) Netherlands National Team @ 1’34”
10. Dimitri Le Boulch (Fra) France National Team @ 1’43”