Wout van Aert won the 2022 Tour de France for the first time
The fourth stage is a 171.5 km hilly track from Dunkirk to Calais. This is the first stage in France, and the first three stages are held in Denmark. It is a tough competition, with six small passes scattered all the way.
Wout van Aert came top in the final of five climbing stages, climbing the 900-metre Cote du Cap Blanc-nez at 7.5% gradient and staying ahead in the final 10km. The Belgian cyclist finished three runners-up in the first three stages after 4 hours, 1 minute and 36 seconds. Danish driver Jasper Philipsen trailed Van Aert by 8sec and Christophe Laporte of UCI WorldTeam Jumbo-Visma finished third.
"I don't want to take any more risks," the athlete who won the silver medal in Tokyo in 2020 said after winning this stage. "Because Nathan Van Hooydonck and Stevie Kruij-Swijk were in the last climbing stage, we were in perfect position. I also planned to wait for my teammates Jonas Vingegaard and Adam Yates, but decided to accelerate alone in the last 10 kilometers.
Van Aert retained the yellow jersey for UCI WorldTeam Jumbo-Visma after winning stage three and became the first Belgian cyclist to win the tour in a yellow jersey since two-time world champion Freddy Maertens in 1976.
Van Aert made a flying move with his arms outstretched as he celebrated his first finish. He explained, "That's what I said. The yellow shirt gave me wings."
In addition to firmly consolidating the yellow shirt with a time of 13 hours, 2 minutes and 43 seconds, Van Aert also widened the lead gap of the blue shirt for the best sprint driver. The Belgian cyclist was awarded 10 seconds and 25 seconds ahead of Yves Lampat in the final standings. Emirates' Tadej Pogacar-who aims to win a third consecutive Tour de France title-is third with a 32-second lead over Van Aert.
Today, the 2022 Tour de France continues its fifth stage, with a total length of 153.7 kilometers from Lille Metropolis to Porto Dueno, Arenberg. This stage will pass through Rube, with 11 pebble sections, totaling 20 kilometers.
