In short
| Stage winner | Janeck TOMBAK |
 (yellow jersey) |
Robert HUNTER |
 (green jersey) |
Robert HUNTER |
Starters' list | Time schedules
All classifications
| Stage |
|---|
 |
|
• Individual time • Individual points • Best team |
|
| Overall |
|
|
• Individual time • Individual points • Best team |
Prize for Combativeness
| Not yet available |  |
Stage by stage
| 1 | Friday 18 May | 176 km |
| Bohain-en-Vermandois > Albert | ||
| 2 | Saturday 19 May | 191 km |
| Airaines > Ribecourt-Dreslincourt | ||
| 3 | Sunday 20 May | 93.5 km |
| La Croix Saint Ouen > Soissons | ||
| 4 | Sunday 20 May | 91.5 km |
| Belleu > Laon | ||
| Total Length | 552 km | |
The race
Sunday 20 May 2007| stage 4 | Belleu > Laon - 91.5 km |
|---|
For three little seconds
Start at 14h50 for 68 riders. Stage victory for Tombak. But the Estonian, who was seeking for a double trick, fails for 3 little seconds and let Hunter win a Tour he had control from the start.
The film of the stage
The bunch completes the first kilometres of this fourth stage at a cool pace. But at kilometre 11, Tjallingii launches an attack. He gets up to 1’50 on the bunch in Pinon (km 59). Then the Barloword team decide to intensify the chase.
They take the lead of the bunch and speed up. The gap decreases regularly: 1’ in Molinchart –km 56,5) and 40’’ at the first passage on the line (km 68). Thanks to the points won in Molinchart, Tjallingii moves closer to lead at the overall ranking. That’s why he struggles to keep his advantage. But he his finally caught 20 kilometres before the finish.
Hunter’s team mates make the race even tougher in the last kilometres, with a view to finish the stage in another massive sprint that would grant Hunter the final victory. But Engoulvent manages to break away in spite of the high pace. But he is caught in the Côte de Laon (km 86). Tombak (Est, Jar) seizes this opportunity to launch his attack.
The Estonian seeks for a double trick : the stage victory and the the yellow jersey. Her is only 16’’ adrift Hunter and hopes to win the Tour de Picardie, thanks to the points and the stage victory. He resists to the pressure of the bunch and finally wins the stage. But his advantage on the line is only 7’’. 7’’ plus the 6’’ bonus = 13’’… Tombak fails for 3’’ little seconds. Hunter finally wins a Tour de Picardie that he controlled from the first to the last kilometres.
The winner interview
Robert Hunter (RSA, BAR), winner of the Tour de Picardie:
“There is no little victory, especially when you suffered for it. Today, it was very hard, with the rain, the wind and a crazy little climb five kilometres. That’s why I am so happy to win today. And maybe thios victory could help us to get a wild card for the Tour. Actually, it was one of our goals here.â€