Tadej Pogacar claimed his 100th professional victory with a stunning win on stage four of the Tour de France, outsprinting rivals Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Vingegaard in a thrilling finale. The Slovenian rider showed his class on the 174.2km stage into Rouen, which featured five categorised climbs in the final 50km, setting the stage for a fierce showdown among the general classification contenders.
The dramatic stage saw repeated attacks among the leading riders, with the race splintering as they battled across the short but intense climbs. The decisive moment came on the steep Rampe Saint-Hilaire, five kilometres from the finish, where Pogacar launched a blistering attack that only Vingegaard could follow. As the duo approached the final stretch, Pogacar found another gear, pulling ahead on the uphill dash to the line. Van der Poel, who had managed to stay close behind, finished second, just behind the Slovenian, while Vingegaard came in third.
The result means Pogacar is now level on time with Van der Poel at the top of the general classification. However, the Dutchman retains the yellow jersey due to count-back rules. Despite the intense competition, Pogacar remained composed and praised his team, especially teammate Joao Almeida, for their role in setting up the win.
Pogacar expressed his joy at reaching the 100-win milestone and emphasized the significance of achieving it during the Tour de France, especially while wearing the white jersey of the best young rider. He highlighted the pure racing adrenaline of such high-stakes finishes and credited the excitement of the day to the quality of the field and the unpredictability of the terrain.
The victory was Pogacar’s 18th Tour de France stage win and another step in his quest for a fourth overall title. His ability to respond to multiple attacks and then overpower his rivals in the final moments underlined his status as one of the sport’s most dominant figures.
One of the standout performances of the day came from 22-year-old Oscar Onley of Great Britain. Competing in only his second Tour, he managed to recover from a late crash and still finish fourth among the elite GC riders. His impressive ride propelled him up to seventh in the overall standings.
The next stage of the race will feature the first individual time trial, covering 33km around Caen. All eyes will be on Remco Evenepoel, the reigning world and Olympic champion in the discipline. Currently sitting ninth in the general classification, just under a minute behind the leaders, he will be aiming to claw back time and assert his presence in the GC battle.
Stage Four Top 10 Finishers:
- Tadej Pogacar
- Mathieu van der Poel
- Jonas Vingegaard
- Oscar Onley
- Romain Grégoire
- Joao Almeida
- Remco Evenepoel (+3s)
- Matteo Jorgenson
- Mattias Skjelmose (+7s)
- Kévin Vauquelin (+10s)
General Classification After Stage Four:
- Mathieu van der Poel – 16h 46m 00s
- Tadej Pogacar – same time
- Jonas Vingegaard – +8s
- Matteo Jorgenson – +19s
- Kevin Vauquelin – +26s
- Enric Mas – +48s
- Oscar Onley – +55s
- Joao Almeida – same time
- Remco Evenepoel – +58s
- Mattias Skjelmose – +1m 02s
