Published on : Modified :
Frustrated by his three second places in the first three stages of the Tour, Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) consolidated his yellow jersey on Tuesday by winning the 4th stage. He got out of the peloton in the last difficulty of the day to go for the victory alone.
Wout Van Aert responded in the most beautiful way to detractors who accused him of having “only” finished second in the first three stages of the Tour de France 2022. The 27-year-old Belgian pulled off a coup on Tuesday July 5 , in the final of the fourth leg. Already wearing the yellow jersey, he went on the offensive in the last small difficulty of the day 11 kilometers from the finish, taking the advantage over a peloton that will never see him again.
Anxious to savor the moment, he crossed the line in Calais imitating the bird taking flight with his arms. A worthy way to celebrate what is already his seventh victory in the Tour de France, in four disputed editions.
WOUT VAN AERT IN SOLITAIRE IN CALAIS! The yellow jersey has more than assumed its status as favorite and gleans its 7th success on the Grande Boucle, after three 2nd places on this edition. Philipsen settles the peloton behind… by celebrating. #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/oynD4L6Wq1
– Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) July 5, 2022
A predictable scenario torn apart by Van Aert
Before that, the stage seemed to go the way of the usual scenario of transition stages. A morning breakaway which starts in the first minutes but in which the sprinters, anxious to play for victory in the last hectometres, do not give themselves a chance. But Wout Van Aert tore up this all-too-predictable scenario with his attack. On the line, he was eight seconds ahead of the first group of pursuers settled by the Belgian Jasper Philipsen, who raised his arms on the line believing he had won. Frenchman Christophe Laporte took third place today.
ℹ️ [THREAD]
???????? @MagnusCort… almost stronger than Bahamontes!
???? With his series of 8 classified summits crossed in the lead, Magnus Cort has just broken the record of the genre established by Federico Bahamontes in 1958.
1/2 #TDF2022 ⚪️????
— E.Leclerc Polka Dot Jersey (@maillotapois) July 5, 2022
The two brave men of the day were named Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education-EasyPost), who stuck to the task to consolidate his polka dot jersey in the first five listed climbs of the stage. Passing in front each time, he has just broken the old record – dating from 1958 – of Federico Bahamontes : he crossed in the lead eight consecutive classified summits thanks to his three breakaways in as many stages. His breakaway companion was Anthony Perez (Cofidis), who, for his part, won the prize for combativeness by not surrendering until the attack on Van Aert.