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Kopecky is back on the front and is splitting the peloton. Kastelijn is attacking Cordon-Ragot again at the head of the race.
Hammes nearly gets taken out by a photo motorbike, but narrowly avoids disaster with some sound bike-handling skills.
Cordon-Ragot has attacked the remainder of this group who are unable to follow for now.
Kastelijn attacks!
Korevaar is the first to drop out of the break after working to help De Jong's chances.
Elise Chabbey (Canyon SRAM) attacks the peloton on the descent. Gasparrini and Lippert are trying to chase her down.
20KM TO GO
Can the break still make it to the finish in Rodez?
Reusser has also been dropped under this infernal pace. SD Worx are running out of firepower.
Very select group forming under the pressure of Kopecky in the remnants of the peloton. Muzic dropped alongside Cavalli which means Uttrup Ludwig will be isolated for FDJ-SUEZ.
Kopecky hits the front again with Markus in her wheel. The gap to the break has melted to a comparatively slim 3:30.
The breakaway is all back together at the front after Majerus chased down Kastelijn and Cordon-Ragot.
Reusser, Vollering and Kopecky are all close behind as Van Vleuten hits the front. Peloton behind is in tatters.
Movistar come to the front through Biannic with Van Vleuten actually in second wheel just behind her. Will we see the World Champion go early?
Our next climb is the only category 2 test of the day, the Côte de Moyrazès (4.6km at 5.5%).
27KM TO GO
Cordon-Ragot outsprints Kastelijn for the bonus sprint. That's six and four seconds respectively gained and the two of them keep their foot on the accelerator ahead of the other 12 breakaway riders.
Here's a look at that attack from Kopecky.
💛@LotteKopecky goes on the move! @KNiewiadoma follows closely, but the gap to the breakaway is crumbing down💛@LotteKopecky lance sa première attaque ! @KNiewiadoma suit de près, mais l'écart avec l'échappée se réduit drastiquement.#TDFF2023 #WatchTheFemmes @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/hXnuJ14KbZJuly 26, 2023
FDJ-SUEZ are now taking up the chase after also missing out on the big breakaway. Uttrup Ludwig will be their pick for the day having won a similar stage in last year's Tour de France Femmes.
The attack for the QOM points has split this front group and Cordon-Ragot is on the wrong side of it with Kastelijn getting away from her.
Deignan reels back in the attacking duo as Hammes attacks the breakaway in pursuit of the QOM points at the summit. Koster sets off in the chase to challenge her.
Peloton is completely stretched out under the pressure of this attack. Niewiadoma has showed incredible form over these first four stages.
Deignan pulling on the front behind for Lidl-Trek to try and pull back Kopecky.
Kopecky attacks as I typed that! Niewiadoma is trying to follow.
35KM TO GO
DSM-Firmenich have been chasing in the peloton behind with the gap now down to 5:43 for the break. Bredewold has given the likes of Reusser and Kopecky a chance to hide in the wheels and not pace.
Are SD Worx planting satellite riders up the road for Vollering to bridge across to in an attack? She's got Majerus in the break and now Bredewold ahead on the climb.
Bredewold kicks away out of the peloton with Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) on her back wheel.
Riders are beginning to drop off the back of the peloton under the pace on this climb. Gap to the breakaway is down to 6:47.
Korevaar is pulling in the break for De Jong, who is just one of a number of cyclocross stars in this big move. Brand, Kastelijn, Majerus, Truyen and Azruffi have all had success at the national and world level off-road.
This climb is 6.5km at 4.2% and they will crest it 5.4km before the bonus sprint into Limayrac.
40KM TO GO
This climb signifies the beginning of the most crucial part of stage 4, with three categorised climbs and a bonus sprint, before the final uphill kick to the line in Rodez. We could see the race at the front and the race in the peloton kick off simultaneously.
Cordon-Ragot has kicked on over this small descending section which precedes our next categorised climb. Kastelijn was aware to this and didn't let her get away as the break starts the Côte de Colombiès.
Kastelijn is a very talented climber and won't be someone the peloton wants to give an eight minute advantage to. Wiebes is back on the front with Bredewold behind and Canyon SRAM also swapping in with them to try and reduce the now 8:31 deficit.
Kasper was first over the intermediate sprint point ahead of Brand and Truyen.
Kastelijn and Majerus have notably been missing turns on occasion in this front group, the former as she has Marthe Truyen with her to pull and the latter as she is on the strongest team that has the yellow jersey behind.
50KM TO GO
Canyon SRAM are now swapping turns with UAE ADQ and SD Worx at the head of the peloton.
The breakaway is approaching the intermediate sprint point in Rignac.
Small coming together at the back of the peloton involving Julie De Wilde (Fenix-Deceuninck) and two St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 riders just as they entered the litter zone.
UAE ADQ have committed a rider to the front of the peloton. They were one of the big teams to miss out on this move once it went.
65KM TO GO
Human Powered Health are up towards the front of the peloton to try and stifle any concerted efforts to chase. They will desperately want to get Cordon-Ragot into yellow with this fantastic opportunity.
Just a reminded that if the race stopped now, Cordon-Ragot would go into the yellow jersey. The next closest rider to Kopecky's lead is Kastelijn who started the day 20 seconds behind the former French National Champion.
The gap at the front has gone out to 10:20 with the pace being re-injected in the break after the categorised climb. It's tough to see this stage not going to the break and a new rider wearing the yellow jersey tomorrow.
75KM TO GO
SD Worx are still pulling in the peloton through Wiebes and Cecchini.
There is still a maximum of 11 QOM points on offer throughout the final 80km which Koster will be eyeing up to confirm a day in the polka-dot jersey. Both Hammes and Kastelijn will be trying their best to stop her.
88KM TO GO
The next 35 kilometres will be raced over undulating terrain before we reach the intermediate sprint and the most important phase of the race will start.
Koster was first over the Côte de Falgeyras and took the two QOM points with Hammes taking the other one. Koster has now moved into the virtual lead of that classification, with Hammes jumping into equal second alongside Van de Velde.
Could today be the day for Demi Vollering (SD Worx)to gain some time ahead of van Vleuten ahead of the big mountain stage up the Tourmalet on Saturday and Sunday's time trial?
The finale 50km of the parcours could resemble a portion of racing in the Ardennes with it's punchy climbs that come thick and fast. Vollering dominated the Ardennes classics and took a famous triple there this year so look out for her on the attack.
100KM TO GO
Wiebes is pulling in the peloton behind for SD Worx.
Unfortunately two more riders have abandoned the race: Rachele Barbieri (Liv Racing-TeqFind) and Anais Morichon (Arkéa).
KEY POINTS FOR THE REMAINING 110KM
92.2km to go - Climb: Côte de Falgeyras (3km at 4%)
46.5km to go - Intermediate Sprint: Rignac
34.4km to go - Climb: Côte de Colombiès (6.5km at 4.2%)
29km to go - Bonus sprint: Limayrac
15.4km to go - Climb: Côte de Moyrazès (4.6km at 5.5%)
8.9km to go - Climb: Côte de Lavernhe (2.2km at 7.1%)
Finish: Rodez
110KM TO GO
With no real efforts behind to chase or control the gap, the break is now 8:45 up the road.
The riders are currently passing through Tour-de-Faure.
Even with the backloaded climbs on today's parcours, this breakaway will really take some chasing if they are going to be caught before reaching Rodez.
120KM TO GO
Latest time gap to the break is 7:45.
The two riders who crashed are back in the peloton, Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X) and Martina Alzini (Cofidis).
Elise Uijen (DSM-Firmenich) has unfortunately abandoned the race leaving 145 riders remaining. She was struggling yesterday and finished last, 19:42 after Wiebes won the sprint.
130KM TO GO
The breakaway's gap is at a massive 5:50 from the peloton.
Crash in the peloton for a Uno-X and Cofidis rider.
Cordon-Ragot has gone into the lead of the virtual general classification having started only 2:21 down on Kopecky at the start of the stage.
Koster and Gutiérrez leading the breakaway which now has a 4:00 lead over the peloton.
140KM TO GO
Big teams to have missed out: FDJ-SUEZ, Canyon SRAM, DSM-Firmenich and UAE ADQ. Expect SD Worx to do little to no work with Majerus up there in the break.
Very late attempt to bridge the gap by Maaike Colké (Arkéa-Samsic) which goes nowhere. Arkéa and Cofidis will be gutted that they've missed this move.
The race has made the turn east and is about to pass Cahors again before entering into a long flat section of racing ahead of the next categorised climb which comes at 92.2km to go.
Full list of riders and their nationalities below.
🏁150 KM 1️⃣4️⃣🚴♀️< 50" July 26, 2023
150KM TO GO
It's 55 seconds of an advantage now for the breakaway.
The smaller chasing pack has been caught with the group of 14 now 50 seconds ahead of the peloton.
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health) and Romy Kasper (AG Insurance-Soudal QuickStep) are in this huge leading group with the likes of Koster and Hammes. Huge break forming.
The majority of big teams are represented, with Christine Majerus for SD Worx, Lucinda Brand for Lidl-Trek, Sheyla Gutiérrez for Movistar and Coryn Labecki for Jumbo Visma.
A leading group of 14 riders have a 20-second advantage over the peloton, with a smaller group chasing them in the gap.
A look back on Christie in the first attack of the day.
More moves have been made involving Anouska Koster (Uno-X). She was first to cross the QOM point with Kathrin Hammes (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) in second. Koster is no equal with Van de Velde virtually in the lead of the QOM classification.
160KM TO GO
Four riders have attacked out of the bunch.
Once the climb started, Christie was quickly caught by the bunch being led by those infested in the QOM points.
Christie is at the foot of the first climb, the Col de Crayssac.
The Kiwi's gap in front is 20 seconds as of now.
165KM TO GO
Henrietta Christie (Human Powered Health) is the first rider to get a gap from the peloton.
The riders will complete a small westward loop towards the first categorised climb of the day, the Col de Crayssac (2.3km at 4.8%), before traversing east to Rodez.
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) opted to stay in her European Champion's jersey despite having the option of wearing the green jersey. It was probably down to not actually leading that classification and still trailing her teammate Kopecky by 25 seconds. Moolman is wearing green as Kopecky is, of course, in the yellow jersey.
177.1KM TO GO
The longest stage of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes is officially underway!
Thankfully no DNS today which means 146 riders have started stage 4.
Should be a big day out for the World Champion, Van Vleuten.
Stage 4 of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes is underway! The flag should be waved at 12:40 CEST where official racing will begin.
Nice embrace at the start line between Kopecky and Van de Velde, two of Belgium's finest.
The riders are on the line in Cahors ready for the start of stage 4.
Here come SD Worx with the race leader, Lotte Kopecky. It's her third day in yellow after winning the opening stage. She still holds a 55 second advantage over Liane Lippert (Movistar) in the overall standings, with Ashleigh Moolman (AG Insurance-Soudal QuickStep) in third a further 10 seconds behind.
It wasn't to be for Julie Van de Velde (Fenix-Deceuninck) in the finale of stage 3 as she was caught in the final straight, but her solo adventure in front of the peloton did earn her a day in the polka-dot jersey. Expect her to try and get into any breaks that form today to defend and extend her lead of that classification.
We're around 20 minutes from the start of stage 4 now with Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) being announced on stage alongside the reading of her incredibly decorated palmarès.
Lidl-Trek are next up on stage with their very strong team focused around Elisa Longo Borghini who should play a big role in today's stage.
No prizes for guessing who was bringing the good vibes on the podium this morning.
💃 The energy we need ahead of the longest #TDFF2023 stage ! Never change @aliactionjackso ! 💃L'énergie dont on a besoin avant l'étape la plus longue du #TDFF2023 ! Ne change pas @aliactionjackso !#WatchTheFemmes @gozwift pic.twitter.com/LHubf4WNrpJuly 26, 2023
Here's a look at the profile of stage 4 which shows the mainly flat opening 80 alongside the difficult final 30km where the race will be decided. Three categorised climbs and a bonus sprint should entice the GC favourites into looking for advantages over their rivals.
The riders are completing sign-ons and the team presentation in Cahors ahead of the neutralised roll out at 12:25 CEST.
Today's stage is the longest of the 2023 race at 177.1km and should provide the perfect arena for the GC fight to properly kick off on a hilly parcours that increases in difficulty as the kilometres tick by.
Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes.
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July 26, 2023 at 10:27PM
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Tour de France Femmes Stage 4 Live - Let the GC battle begin - Cyclingnews
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