​FOIX, France (AP) — Danish cyclist Mads Pedersen powered clear in a late sprint to claim victory in the Tour de France’s fourth stage on Tuesday, while Norwegian rider Torstein Traeen grabbed the yellow jersey from defending champion Tadej Pogacar. Pedersen burst away with about 300 meters remaining and rode decisively to beat teammate Quinn Simmons of Lidl-Trek and Spaniard Raul Garcia in a photo finish. It marked Pedersen’s third Tour stage win, reinforcing his reputation as a formidable sprinter and a former world road race champion.
Traeen finished eighth, well ahead of Pogacar, who did not contest the stage victory. Pogacar stayed in the main peloton with two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard, his principal rival, but both rode in 12 minutes and 59 seconds behind Traeen after nearly four and a half hours in the saddle. Traeen, who competes for Uno-X Mobility, holds a lead of just under eight minutes over Pogacar and Vingegaard in the overall standings. Despite this advantage, Traeen is not a realistic contender for overall victory and could relinquish the yellow jersey as early as Thursday when the race moves into the Pyrenees for Stage 6.
Pogacar had taken the yellow jersey from Vingegaard after winning Monday’s Stage 3, which featured the first major mountain climb of the three-week event that concludes on July 26 in Paris. Stage 4 covered 182 kilometers (113 miles) from Carcassonne to Foix in the Occitania region of southwestern France and included four moderate climbs. The sweltering heat—temperatures around 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit)—prompted race organizers to implement extra feeding zones to provide riders with more frequent access to water.
With about 50 kilometers to go, a leading trio formed: Mathias Vacek, Jan Tratnik, and Alex Kirsch. Their alliance was short-lived, as a new group of ten riders soon came to the fore. Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin was the first to attempt a move, but Pedersen surged around him on the outside with explosive speed to seal the win.
Stage 5, slated for Wednesday, presents a mostly flat profile designed to favor sprinters. The Tour continues its grueling march across France, testing riders’ endurance, strategy, and sprinting prowess as the race narrows toward the mountain-heavy stages in the Alps and Pyrenees. As the field moves forward, the dynamics of the yellow jersey, the potential for other stage wins, and the ongoing rivalries among the top contenders will keep fans tuned in to see how the race unfolds in the coming days.