Tour de France 2023 stage 4 LIVE: Winner and results from sprint finish

The Tour de France continues with a second stage in succession likely to suit the sprinters as the race heads away from the Basque coast and into the heart of southwest France. A 182km route from Dax to Nogaro provides only one categorised climb, with the peloton’s fast-men lining up another dash for victory on the smooth tarmac of the Circuit Paul Armagnac.

Jasper Philipsen took the first bunch sprint of this year’s Tour in Bayonne yesterday, capitalising on a brilliant lead-out from his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates to win stage three. But plenty of the sprinters in the field showed good legs in a twisting finale, including Astana’s Mark Cavendish, who finished sixth.

The Manx man arrived at his final Tour de France seeking a 35th stage win that would take him clear of Eddy Merckx as the most succesful stage-hunter in race history, and will hope to challenge for victory in Nogaro.

Follow all the latest updates from stage four below:

Tour de France 2023

• Stage Three looks another for the sprinters, with only a single categorised climb on the 182km route from Dax to Nogaro

• Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Jasper Philipsen took the first sprint stage of this year’s Tour in Bayonne yesterday

• Mark Cavendish could contend for a record 35th stage win - how the Manx Missile became a Tour de France legend

Tour de France Stage Four - Result

16:52 , Harry Latham-Coyle

1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

2. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny)

3. Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious)

4. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis)

5. Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazasqtan)

JASPER PHILIPSEN WINS STAGE FOUR OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE

16:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A Cofidis rider and one of Alexander Kristoff’s UnoX lead-out men hit the deck in those final few hundred metres - let’s hope everyone emerges from the Circuit Paul Armagnac relatively unscathed.

Luka Mezgec was sprinting in lieu of Dylan Groenewegen for Jayco-AlUla - was the Dutchman caught up in the crash that brought down Fabio Jakobsen?

JASPER PHILIPSEN WINS STAGE FOUR OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE!

16:47 , Harry Latham-Coyle

BACK-TO-BACK STAGE VICTORIES FOR THE BELGIAN! Alpecin-Deceuninck have done it again!

It was mighty tight on the line, Caleb Ewan very nearly beating Philipsen on the lunge for the line. But Philipsen had just enough, again, to get there by half a wheel , with Mathieu van der Poel again instrumental with a superb lead-out.

500m to go

16:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle

It’s chaotic and crazy - there’s another crash, an Astana rider down, but it’s not Mark Cavendish. The Manx Missile is on Mads Pedersen’s wheel...

1km to go

16:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle

There’s Wout van Aert! He’s come from nowhere and is back on Christophe Laporte’s wheel. Into the final run-in, headwind blowing...

1.5km to go

16:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Fabio Jakobsen hits the deck! A bad crash for the Quickstep man! He’s out of the running!

2km to go

16:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Matej Mohoric leads the way, effortless power from the talented Slovene. It’s all strung out - Christophe Laporte appears to be Jumbo-Visma’s Option B with Wout van Aert surely too far back to figure.

3km to go

16:44 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A big right-hander and there’s the circuit entrance, Christophe Laporte looking around for Van Aert, who is out of position and some way back. The front of the field safely negotiate the turn into the race track grounds.

4km to go

16:43 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Jumbo-Visma are taking no chances - they bring Jonas Vingegaard right to the front wiith three teammates and will protect the defending champion through to that crucial 3km mark. Wout van Aert isn’t with them - he’ll save his legs for the sprint.

5km to go

16:42 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Cees Bol has got in front of Mark Cavendish, but the two Astana fast-men take the wrong wa around the roundabout, losing touch with their teammate at the front. Cavendish and Bol smartly latch on to TotalEnergies’ train, Peter Sagan’s teammates helping out the Slovakian’s old rival.

6km to go

16:41 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Disaster for DSM! A rider goes the wrong way around an island and they’ll have to adjust on the fly, their carefully constructed train thrown off the rails. They slip back to reassess and reassemble.

Soudal QuickStep had been sitting further down the field but are starting to show at the front.

7km to go

16:39 , Harry Latham-Coyle

De Buyst pulls off, along with a couple of other longer-standing peloton leaders. Fred Wright is ready to take over from Pello Bilbao, the Basque abdicating at the front of the Bahrain Victorious squad. Astana are struggling to align themselves - Cees Bol has just lost touch with Mark Cavendish a little.

9km to go

16:37 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Jasper de Buyst is doing earlier work than usual for Lotto-Dstny, Caleb Ewan’s regular lead-out man hampered by a wrist injury and thus adjusting to a different role. Everyone just waiting, perhaps wary of going too soon in case there is a split to close after that pinch point at 3.1km to go.

11km to go

16:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Wout van Aert is second wheel in the Jumbo-Visma line - will it be third time lucky for the Belgian today after back-to-back frustration?

13km to go

16:33 , Harry Latham-Coyle

You can throw a blanket over the peloton at the moment - it’s all compact annd condensed, those setting the tempo starting to ramp things up. The riders come into a village, the dodging of road furniture causing a split or two and stretching things out a little.

15km to go

16:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Bahrain Victorious are also right at the forefront. Phil Bauhaus was very impressive yesterday, but does have a habit of being better when things are slightly more chaotic on the run in. I’m not sure he quite has the pure power to match some of the top sprinters in the field but if things do get messy around that track entry point, he’s the sort of guy who could capitalise on a reduced group.

17km to go

16:29 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Team dsm-firmenich are ahead of Astana - they’ll be trying to set things up for Aussie Sam Welsford, 13th yesterday but in good sprinting form this year. He didn’t get much help from John Degenkolb in the Stage Three finale, but you’d have thought the German might be employed today.

19km to go

16:26 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Mark Cavendish looks calm and content, Astana happy to let others do the controlling as they lurk together further down the field, hugging the right of the road. After such an easy day, this will be fast and furious on reasonably fresh legs.

23km to go

16:19 , Harry Latham-Coyle

And we’re all back together, Cosnefroy and Delaplace back in the pack and slipping away, their little adventure done.

The peloton’s big boys come to the front - 20km to that vital gate and the finishing circuit and the teams just take the opportunity to slow the pace and settle things down.

27km to go

16:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Neither rider is bothered about that single point - Arkea Samsic’s Anthony Delaplace takes it by default as the front man of the two-man lead group.

He and Benoit Cosnefroy immediately turn back to see how far away the peloton are. 20 seconds is the answer - the pair pull aside one another and prepare to be swept up by the technicolour wave.

29km to go

16:11 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Neilson Powless is told on the EF Education-EasyPost radio that, unless the peloton naturally brings back the breakaway before the end of the climb, he shouldn’t bother going chasing on his lonesome. With just one point available, that’s entirely understandable - Anthony Delaplace and Benoit Cosnefroy appear set to get their own private duel at the top of the gentle slope on which both they and the peloton are now on.

30km to go

16:09 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The chopper is up showing an aerial view of the finishing circuit for the first time. That final straight really is a sprint train’s dream, wide, open and even. But that little pinch point with about 3km to go on entry could really pose problems - it’s tight, and the peloton will be very, very tense at the stage.

Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock, regular cyclocross rivals, gather for a natter towards the rear of the peloton; Van der Poel was also having a long conversation with his favourite frenemy Wout van Aert earlier. It’s been a good day for catching up but we’re approaching the proper stuff now.

33km to go

16:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A mechanical issue for Luis Leon Sanchez, with the veteran Spaniard picking awkwardly at his chain as he waits for assistance from his team. Sanchez is helped out by a member of Cofidis’ staff with his Astana team car slow to arrive. No panic from Sanchez, who really has seen it all before - he’ll have a role to play helping shepherd Mark Cavendish towards the finish.

35km to go

16:02 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The breeze has just stiffened a touch - nothing to cause any undue bother, and probably nice and cooling on what sounds like a sticky day for the peloton in the humidity. Tim Declercq still in his familiar place as the peloton’s figurehead, bearing the brunt of that breeze, as the Belgian has done for so many kilometres in his career.

37km to go

16:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Plenty of support for Cosnefroy and Delaplace as they sweep through French farmland. About eight kilometres until they’ll start climbing.

45km to go

15:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle

It appears the teams are indeed worried about that entry to the track that Lawrence mentioned - Israel Premier Tech have already warned their riders on the team riders that positioning will be key.

Caleb Ewan was another sprinter thrust in front of a microphone this morning after finishing third in Bayonne. “My legs felt good, I felt quite comfortable in those last few kilometres. I can take positives from that. The team did a great job getting me into position. I was happy with how the run-in went.

“It looks technical in the book, but I don’t think it will be as technical as it looks. I got through the first few days with a good feeling so hopefully today will be another good day.”

47km to go

15:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle

20km or so until the only climbing test, that fourth category Cote de Demu molehill. The peloton have just upped the pace in the last few kilometres, whittling down the lead of Benoit Cosnefroy and Anthony Delaplace to 35 seconds or so, which suggests the Normans may soon be brought back into the bunch

Report from Nogaro

15:41 , Lawrence Ostlere

Good afternoon from Circuit Paul Armagnac, where this stage four will finish in an hour and a half or so. The finishing straight here is wide and long – around 700m – and that is going to set up an exciting drag race for the stage win between the big sprinters. One point of note is the entrance to the track from the outside, which is a narrow funnel that will string out the peloton before they take to the circuit. There will be some jostling for position among the sprint teams here. Most people in the press room are expecting Jasper Philipsen to win again after his triumph yesterday in Bayonne. I thought Caleb Ewan looked good yesterday too so I fancy him, but we’ll see...

55km to go

15:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Lidl-Trek’s Mads Pedersen, another potential contender later, fancies this racetrack finish to be slightly more difficult than it first appears, telling GCN before the stage: “It’s a pretty tough finish, a lot of corners and you really have to get it right. It’s slightly uphill, a false flat. It’s going to be a tough one.

“There will be a lot of guys for the sprint because it’s quite an easy day. Wide roads or not, it’s going to be hectic.”

The team buses have been out having some fun on the Circuit Paul Armagnac.

60km to go

15:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The domestiques are holding the gap steady at the minute mark, with Alpecin-Deceuninck among those doing the work at the front as they try and set up Jasper Philipsen for another dash for victory later. The last pure sprinter with back-to-back Tour stage wins was Dylan Groenewegen in 2018.

80km to go

15:02 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A minute now for Cosnefroy and Delaplace at the front. Neither team really has anyone who’ll have any shot in a sprint later, hence the freedom they’ve been afforded to get up the road.

84km to go

14:59 , Harry Latham-Coyle

It’s a Norman conquest! A pair of riders from northern France clip off the front soon after the sprint, Benoit Cosnefroy turning back to check Arkea Samsic’s Anthony Delaplace is coming with him. The pair’s two hometowns are about 20km apart in Normandy - and why not have a go with a mate on a day like this?

Cosnefroy can be a fun rider to watch - he’s a little bit Alaphilippe-ian at his best, punchy and full of panache. Perhaps he’ll fancy a spot on the podium later with a combativity award.

86km to go

14:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle

So to confirm that intermediate sprint result:

1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 20 points

2. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) 17 points

3. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny) 15 points

4. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 13 points

5. Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) 11 points

And, in truly spiffing news, we’ve got a breakaway!

88km to go

14:53 , Harry Latham-Coyle

A slight rise as they go under the one kilometre to go banner, but it’s flat from here. Alpecin still on the front, Biniam Girmay moving up on his lonesome for Intermarche Circus Wanty.

Caleb Ewan will sprint, sitting on Mads Pedersen’s wheel...but Jasper Philipsen takes it on the inside! A late charge from Bryan Coquard but the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider held on, benefitting again from another big turn from Mathieu van der Poel in his leadout train. He’s a useful ally, the Dutchman - 20 intermediate sprint points go Philipsen’s way.

90km to go

14:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The peloton take a big right-hander in the town of Labastide-d’Armagnac, and we’re officially into the second half of today’s stage.

Alpecin-Deceuninck’s leadout train looks well formed at the front, while Bora-Hansgrohe fancy this, too, with Jordi Meeus their sprinter this year.

95km to go

14:43 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The sprinters’ teams are just starting to take control at the front as we begin the approach to that sprint point. Given the lack of excess energy required to get through the first 90km, you fancy a few fast-men to have a real go at earning some points, testing their legs ahead of the racetrack finish later.

100km to go

14:34 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Fabio Jakobsen is beginning to get his legs warm, moving up to the front of the Soudal-QuickStep line ahead of a potential chase for points at Notre Dame des Cyclistes in 12 kilometres or so.

The chapel really is a fitting place for the intermediate sprint - it, as you can probably gather from the name, includes a cycling museum. Part of its charm is a rather lovely stained glass window, designed by Henry Anglade, a Tour de France stage winner in 1959.

106km

14:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The peloton’s average speed today is about five kilometres per hour slower than the race’s most conservative pre-stage estimate - this really is a proper pootle to Nogaro.

109km to go

14:18 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The lack of a breakaway does mean that there’s a full 20 points on offer to the first man across the line at the intermediate sprint. Mads Pedersen has been very active at those mid-stage sprint points so far in the race - if Wout van Aert doesn’t fancy another tilt at the green jersey, Pedersen probably has the right blend of sprinting speed, climbing legs and hardiness to take the points competition.

112km to go

14:12 , Harry Latham-Coyle

We’ll see what happens as we get nearer to the intermediate sprint, about 25km away, and then the sole categorised climb later in the stage, but if things continue in this manner, finding a suitable candidate for most combative rider might be difficult.

117km to go

14:05 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Those caught napping as that little acceleration threatened to cause a split are working their way back in through the back of the peloton. That attack would have jolted a few out of their slumber.

119km to go

14:01 , Harry Latham-Coyle

That really was out of nowhere. The peloton is all strung out in a line, with the cross tailwind probably not quite strong enough to threaten echelons but keeping everyone on guard, regardless. Simon Yates has to show his face towards the front, the maillot jaune making sure he’s well positioned just in case it does fracture further.

Van Aert eventually relents, and the sprinters’ teams fan out across the front to settle things back down again. But that was all rather jaunty - and rather needed.

120km to go

13:59 , Harry Latham-Coyle

More than 60km covered today now.

Hang on! Wout van Aert fancies some fun! He’s putting the pace on at the front in a power-packed group at the front. It’s the Belgians again...and there’s a split!

Tour de France 2023 stage-by-stage guide

13:56 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Stage-by-stage guide to the 2023 Tour de France route

127km to go

13:54 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Right, back to full focus on the Tour de France, where the peloton are weaving through the villages to the south of Mont-de-Marsan. This is proper French rugby territory, this - today’s route takes in the town of Condom, where talismanic number eight Gregory Alldritt grew up. The riders have just ridden past the Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Rugby, which includes a monument of rugby memorabilia, alongside more traditional religious iconography.

130km to go

13:44 , Harry Latham-Coyle

She’s done it! Antonia Niedermaier just about manages to hold off Annemiek van Vleuten, taking Stage Five of the Giro Donne and the biggest win of her young career by a handful of seconds.

Van Vleuten’s second place will extend her advantage in the general classification.

136km to go

13:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Drama in Italy - both Van Vleuten and Longo Borghini have hit the deck! The Dutch race leader is soon back on her bike, but the Italian went flying into a mound at the side of a bend and stays down a little longer.

Thankfully, she’s able to get back in the saddle, but that was pretty scary for the Lidl-Trek rider. That might just seal it for Antonia Niedermaier - what a win that would be for the budding Canyon/SRAM star.

No change on the situation at the Tour. The peloton remains together nearly 50km into a soporific stage.

143km to go

13:26 , Harry Latham-Coyle

In Italy, talented young German Antonia Nidermaier has launched a late flyer on Stage Five of the Giro Donne. She’s inside the final ten kilometres but has an advantage of about 30 seconds - but it’s pretty scary double act of Elisa Longo Borghini and Annemiek van Vleuten hot in pursuit.

The Dutchwoman, seeking to extend her overall lead over Longo Borghini, has just attacked.

146km to go

13:19 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Soudal-QuickStep are at the front of the peloton, Tim Declercq, nicknamed “The Tractor”, right at home tugging the bunch along past the hay bales. Onwards we go.

151km to go

13:12 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Philippe Gilbert is out on the motorbike today with the peloton, adjusting to life after retirement. The brilliant Belgian classicist is recalling when he and a group of compatriots embarked on a uninational attack a couple of years ago at Paris-Nice, a move masterminded by Oliver Naesen that ended up enlivening a similarly sleepy stage.

Could the six Americans in the race try something similar this afternoon on Independence Day? The USA’s Neilson Powless is certainly enjoying his Tour so far, describing wearing the polka dots as a “childhood dream”.

“The Tour de France is the biggest bike race in the world and I grew up watching it, with the polka dot jersey always riding at the front of the race,” EF Education-EasyPost’s Powless said after consolidating his competition lead yesterday. “Now I get to wear that jersey. I’ve fulfilled a childhood dream. We knew it was a possibility, yet not an easy one as we needed many things to come together.

The [Pyrenees] is a really big goal for the polka dot jersey but also for the stage win for the team as well. Luckily I’ve had teammate that have been resting up quite well and they are also looking forward to the Pyrenees,” Powless said.

“If I miss one break in the mountains it will be gone, and we are still a long way from reaching Paris. It’s very nice to be in the lead. I’m already in love with this polka-dot jersey. I fell immediately in love with it, indeed. Let’s see how long I can wear it.”

157km to go

13:04 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The peloton are already seven minutes behind the slowest schedule issued by the organisers, to illustrate how unhurried proceedings have been so far. Why not fill the time by listening to the dulcet tones of The Independent’s Lawrence Ostlere? Our man in France, currently making his own sedate way to today’s finish town of Nogaro, took on some readers’ questions before the Tour got started.

163km to go

12:52 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Over at the Giro Donne in Italy, things are rather more exciting - there’s 25km or so to go in another significant day of climbing for the women’s peloton, with race leader Annemiek van Vleuten attacking from a nine-strong front group. Van Vleuten hasn’t managed to get away but there’s still another third category climb to come before a final ramp to the finish. We’ll keep an eye on that one.

In France, Luca Mozzato of Arkea-Samsic, who might have been the only team tempted to have a go on their lonesome today, drops back to the medical car for a bit of strapping.

167km to go

12:46 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Hurrah! An attack! Michael Gogl of Alpecin-Deceuninck puts the power on and finds a follower in the form of Lidl-Trek’s Jasper Stuyven, two teams with amibitions to take the stage perhaps hoping to spark the stage into life.

It doesn’t work. All back in one bunch with few signs of follow-up offensives.

171km to go

12:40 , Harry Latham-Coyle

“Well, we’re going to go east for a long time,” is the great Sean Kelly’s quip on commentary when asked where he thinks today’s stage might be going. A few riders are already nipping off to answer to nature’s call, with no action imminent.

Peter Sagan is having a catch-up with a few old Bora-Hansgrohe friends, while Mark Cavenish and Julian Alaphilippe share an embrace, rainbow bands on their arms denoting their status as former world champions, recalling their times together at Soudal-QuickStep. Easy going.

Jumbo’s Death Star, Pidcock’s dog and Basque pride: Inside the Tour de France’s Grand Depart

12:36 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Jumbo’s Death Star and Pidcock’s dog: Inside the Tour de France’s Grand Depart

176km to go

12:31 , Harry Latham-Coyle

You can completely understand the riders’ reticence to get up the road. The sole categorised climb on the docket today offers only a single point and is late in the stage, and there would appear almost zero chance of a breakaway getting any sort of race-winning rope with the sprinters’ teams likely to be in full control.

And so we wait. Bora-Hansgrohe Emmanuel Buchmann has a banana in his back pocket, ready to refuel a bit later. Simon Yates is having a chat with UAE Team Emirates colleague Matteo Trentin; Mathieu van der Poel has a relaxed chuckle behind them.

179km to go

12:26 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Racing in name only so far. The scenery won’t be quite as spectacular as yesterday’s romp up the coast to Bayonne, but there are a few attractive chateaux on the way to Nogaro, which the peloton might just have time to appreciate if this gentle pace continues.

181km to go

12:22 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Christian Prudhomme waves the flag and we are off and running on Stage Four of the 2023 Tour de France.

And...nobody’s moving. Not even a hint of an attack in the first kilometre of racing. It might be one of those days.

Tour de France - Stage Four

12:21 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Calm and cool as the riders approach the race start proper. Who fancies an early excursion and first crack at forming a breakaway?

Tour de France - Stage Four

12:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The peloton have begun the neutralised roll-out from Dax. It’s been a reasonably smooth start incident-wise - neither Enric Mas nor Richard Carapaz were able to start Stage Two after a crash on the opening day as both Movistar and EF Education-EasyPost lost GC men, but there are again 174 riders on the start line today.

Tour de France - Stage Four

12:11 , Harry Latham-Coyle

It is, of course, the fourth of July, which might excite Powless and the other five American riders in the field. I wouldn’t expect any of them to figure particularly prominent come the pointy end of the race, with none of the competing US sextet particularly noted fast finishers, but Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) is wearing the stars and stripes and has surprised the peloton on a motor-racing tack already this year...

Tour de France - Stage Four

12:05

Here’s a reminder of the full list of jersey wearers today. Laurent Pichon (Arkea-Samsic) has the coloured numbers after winning Stage Four’s combativity prize.

Yellow: Simon Yates (UAE Team Emirates)

White: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)

Green: Victor Lafay (Cofidis)

Polka Dot: Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

Tour de France - Stage Four

12:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle

There’s just the one King of the Mountains point of offer today, so I don’t expect Neilson Powless to repeat his move from yesterday and get up the road in hopes of increasing his lead in the chase for the polka dot jersey. It’s safe on his shoulders for another couple of days at least.

It feels like a classic day for some of the smaller French teams to fill the breakaway, but there are slightly fewer candidates for that sort of exposure-driven exercise in futility than usual this year. Both UCI ProTour entrants (TotalEnergies and Lotto-Dstny) are here with hopes of semi-regular stage contention, the latter outfit particularly, while Uno-X and Israel-Premier Tech both arrive with strong units hoping to make the most of their wildcards.

Mark Cavendish speaks to Eurosport/GCN ahead of the Stage Four start

11:49 , Harry Latham-Coyle

“Yeah, it was good,” the Astana sprinter reflects on yesterday. “Of course we want to win - sixth is sixth, but I was happy with my legs, how the boys were. There are a lot more opportunities and we are going to be positive moving forward from that. I’m really happy, actually.

“We’ll try again today. The final straight is better for me, you can feel the pedals underneath you.

“This stuff I can kind of enjoy. Once I’m on the bike, I’m on the bike doing the job. It doesn’t feel like there is a pressure, which takes a weight off my shoulders. I’ll go and do my best and see what happens.”

Tour de France - Stage Four

11:37 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Slightly peculiarly, the Tour de France won’t see another coastline for the remainder of this year’s race - we’re now inland all the way to Paris. Here’s our handy guide to every stage on the 2023 route, with all sorts of climbing tests to come as the peloton take on the Pyrenees, the Massif Central and the Alps.

Stage-by-stage guide to the 2023 Tour de France route

Tour de France - Stage Four

11:28 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Rider safety will continue to be in the spotlight throughout this Tour, particularly after the tragic loss of Gino Mader at the Tour de Suisse last month. Mader really is much missed - beyond his considerable talents on a bike, the Swiss rider did plenty of work for charity, with particular emphasis on the environment.

Bahrain-Victorious teammate Pello Bilbao has copied Mader’s pledge from the 2021 Vuelta a Espana, donating money for each rider he beats on each and all of the 21 Tour stages to a Basque charity that replants on deforested land.

Fabio Jakobsen hits out at Stage Three finish

11:21 , Harry Latham-Coyle

There’s been a fair bit of overnight criticism for the finish in Bayonne yesterday, with that bend inside the final few hundred metres nearly causing an incident as Wout van Aert launched his sprint to Jasper Philipsen’s inside. A jutting barrier didn’t particularly help matters, either.

Among those to question the safety of the run-in is Fabio Jakobsen, who came home fourth. Jakobsen was fortunate to survive a truly horrifying crash at the Tour de Pologne in 2020 and wonders if enough progress is being made to keep sprinters safe.

“I think we (the riders) and the Tour organisers need to look at the parcours and a finish like this,” the Soudal-QuickStep rider said to CyclingNews. “We all saw in the past what that can do, when a rider goes from one side to the other. If you create a chicane, riders want to go the shortest way, from left to right. For sure it’s not the nicest finish of the Tour.

“We can have long kilometres for finishes, just don’t use a downhill, don’t use a left, right in the last five hundred metres.”

Tour de France - Stage Four

10:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle

Philipsen’s new, largely unwarranted nickname wasn’t the only odd bit of Netflix’s Tour de France: Unchained series, which while entertaining enough, didn’t quite manage to hit the mark, as Lawrence Ostlere explains.

When cycling meets ‘war games’ – new Netflix docuseries revitalises well-worn format

Tour de France - Stage Four

10:48 , Harry Latham-Coyle

We’ve still a little while before the action gets going today - I’d expect things to again be quite gentle, though there may be more of a fight to get in the breakaway after that small two-man group got away comfortably yesterday.

Speaking of yesterday, that was Jasper Philipsen’s second consecutive win in a Tour bunch sprint, the Belgian following up his Champs Elysees triumph from last year. That Alpecin-Deceuninck lead-out train looked in good working order, with Mathieu van der Poel a vital carriage but Soren Kragh Andersen and Ramon Sinkeldam doing some handy freight carrying too. So much for “Jasper the Disaster”...

Jasper ‘disaster’ Philipsen rebuts Netflix nickname with stage three win

Tour de France - Stage Four

10:39 , Harry Latham-Coyle

It’s been a fun opening three days of this year’s Tour, with the Basque Country fans adding plenty of colour, turning out in force as the race weaved up from Bilbao to Bayonne. The one blight, unfortunately, has been the tossing of tacks, with all-too-regular punctures a feature of each of the last two stages.

‘You morons!’ Tour de France riders furious as tacks on road cause chaos

Tour de France - Stage Four

10:34 , Harry Latham-Coyle

After yesterday’s twists and turns towards the sprint finish, the peloton’s fastest riders will hope for a much smoother run-in today at the Circuit Paul Armagnac. The open asphalt might just suit Mark Cavendish, with the Astana rider encouraged by a sixth-placed finish yesterday and continuing his search for that record-breaking 35th stage win.

Lawrence Ostlere spoke to some of Cavendish’s fiercest foes and closest allies to find out what makes the Manx Missile a Tour de France legend.

How Mark Cavendish became a Tour de France legend – according to rivals and teammates

Tour de France - Stage Four Route Map and Profile

10:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle

The sprinters will get another chance to go for glory at the 2023 Tour de France as Tuesday’s stage four offers a flat route and fast finish.

The 182km route begins in Dax, a small town in south-west France, before heading east across Landes to the region of Gers. There is an intermediate sprint in the middle of the stage for those hunting green jersey points, although it is unclear whether anyone in the peloton is dedicated to winning the points classification – the green jersey may well end up on the shoulders of whichever top sprinter makes it to Paris by default rather than design.

There is one categorised climb near the finish, the Cote de Demu (2km at 3.5%) and the latter half of the stage is a little lumpy, but not enought to deter any sprinters from reach the finish.

Stage 4 preview: Route map and profile of 182km from Dax to Nogaro

Tour de France 2023 – stage four

09:35 , Lawrence Ostlere

Follow all the build-up and latest updates from stage four of the Tour de France.