A 17-man escape group has a 1m 11s lead with 100km to go in stage four of the Tour de France. Richard Carapaz is in the yellow jersey. Mathieu van der Poel is among a group of riders leading the race with a gap of 48 seconds. Wout van Aert is trailing by 1m 13s. The race includes a long climb to Sestrieres and a small breakaway group forms with Mads Pedersen. The breakaway is eventually absorbed by the main group. The stage is set to be a challenging day of climbing with temperatures reaching 27C.
Meanwhile, a new book titled “Black Cyclists: The Race for Inclusion” sheds light on the history of Black cyclists in the US, including world champion Marshall “Major” Taylor in 1899. The book documents how Black cyclists faced limited opportunities and had to compete on stage and in Europe due to racial discrimination in professional racing.
The stage four of the Tour de France starts in Pinerolo and is a 140km trek to Valloire, with a focus on climbing rather than sprint stages. Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard’s form will be tested on the high pass of Galibier, while Tom Pidcock, known for his descending speed, could have an advantage in the downhill finale. It promises to be an exciting and challenging stage for the riders.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com