Tour de France Stage 4: A Hilly Day in Normandy with High Stakes for GC Riders

As the Tour de France continues, Stage 4 promises to be a thrilling day with five categorized climbs in the final 50km, plenty of up-and-down action, and high stakes for the general classification contenders. Yesterday's stage saw Tim Merlier win a chaotic sprint finish, while Jasper Philipsen was forced to abandon the race after a heavy crash during the day's intermediate sprint. Today, Mathieu van der Poel will lead the contenders on a hilly day in Normandy, with the potential for splits in cross-winds making it a bunfight for the GC riders to stay out of trouble.

Key Takeaways:

• Tim Merlier won Stage 3 of the Tour de France in a chaotic sprint finish, with Jasper Philipsen abandoning the race after a crash during the day's intermediate sprint.
• Mathieu van der Poel leads the general classification contenders on Stage 4, a hilly day in Normandy with five categorized climbs in the final 50km.
• The threat of cross-winds and splits means the GC riders will be on high alert today, with plenty of opportunities for riders to gain time or lose ground.
• The 2025 Tour de France will be broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK, with hourly highlights shows and streaming available on ITVX, TNT Sports, and Discovery+.
• Stage 4 of the Tour de France will feature a punchy parcours through Normandy, with dozens of riders in with a shot at victory.

Statistics:

• There are five categorized climbs in the final 50km of Stage 4.
• Mathieu van der Poel is leading the general classification contenders.
• The 2025 Tour de France will be the last year of free-to-air coverage on ITV4 before it is exclusively shown on TNT Sports and Discovery+ in 2026.
• The stage will be broadcast live on ITV4, with hourly highlights shows and streaming available on ITVX, TNT Sports, and Discovery+.
• Dozens of riders are in with a shot at victory on Stage 4.

Sources:

• The Independent
• ITV4
• ITVX
• TNT Sports
• Discovery+