Third place in the fourth stage of the Tour: Bauhaus defies the fall festival with victory for Philipsen

Third place in the fourth stage of the tour
Bauhaus defies fall festival in Philipsen triumph

4/7/2023 5:59 PM

Before their first endurance test in the Pyrenees, sprinters can shine again at the Tour de France. However, the stage four final was overshadowed by three falls. Germany’s Phil Bauhaus is back in front but will have to concede victory to others.

Phil Bauhaus raced at high speed on the Nogaro Motorsports circuit in an intense crash scene, but at the finish line had to concede defeat again despite a great performance. The 28-year-old from Team Bahrain Victorious once again missed out on the long-awaited day one victory in the Tour de France. 24 hours after a surprising second-place finish, Bauhaus finished third on the next stage with Belgian Jasper Philipsen winning.

Australian Caleb Ewan completed the podium after a stretch that was difficult for long periods but ultimately very exciting. Dutch co-favorite Fabio Jacobsen fell shortly before the end and was unable to take part in the final. Then the other drivers fell hard.

The finish was held over the last 2.3km on the sporty slalom Circuit Paul Armagnac. Sprint star Mark Cavendish again missed his farewell run by finishing fifth to become the only winner of the record-breaking stage, and continues to share the record with Belgium legend Eddy Merckx.

The main field rolls serenely through beautiful landscapes

The top favorites around defending champions Jonas Vinggaard and Tadezh Pogacar had a quiet afternoon the day before the first mountain stage – Pogacar’s teammate Adam Yates easily defended the overall leader’s yellow jersey.

The second, flat stage of the tour had previously started in the immediate vicinity of the bullring in the spa town of Dax. 181.8 kilometers had to be overcome without major challenges. Heading east, the remaining 174 riders roll through the rugby madness of the Greater Southwest.

It was a lot less brutal than playing with an egg on bikes. Falls, battles for positions, and even serious attempts to escape were long overdue. As the day before, the peloton lifted its legs considerably and meandered leisurely through the French countryside. The world’s most important cycling race has turned into a coffee ride – with a view of the Pyrenees stages to come, no one wants to tire themselves out.

Two outliers create some excitement

Thanks to the day’s lone sprint classification at the cycling pilgrimage of Notre Dame des Raclettes, there was at least a little spice in the race with 88km to go. Monday’s stage winner Philipsen retained the lead and scored 20 points in the battle for the green jersey. Bauhaus, who had struggled the night before with their missed opportunity and drafted offensively to chase the win at one point, fell behind.

The craving for a splinter group that would speed up a tired relationship was fulfilled a little later. The Frenchman Benoit Couznefroy and Anthony Delaplace took pity and forced the enemy divisions into formation. However, it became really interesting for the spectators in the last 20km, when the first group was caught again and the final match began.

The coming days promise spectacle from the start. After the battle between top favorites Pogacar and Vingegaard broke out for the first time in the opening weekend, the next exchange of blows should take place in the Pyrenees. On Wednesday, the Col de Soudet, the first climb of the highest category, awaits the riders, and the next day it moves over the legendary Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet to the first mountain finish in Cauterets-Cambasque.