Beaten by Mathieu Van der Poel on day 2, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took his revenge on the Flying Dutchman in Rouen, at the end of stage 4 of the Tour de France 2025. The Slovenian world champion attacked on the steepest slopes of the finale and eventually made the most of his punch to claim his 100th professional win, and his 18th stage in the Tour. He is also the first reigning road world champion to claim victory in the race since Julian Alaphilippe at the beginning of the Tour 2021. With the time bonuses, Pogacar is now level on time with Van der Poel in the overall standings but the Oranje star retains the Maillot Jaune due to the addition of places in the first four stages of the Tour 2025 (54 vs 92).
On day 4 of the Tour 2025, the 181-man peloton ride from Amiens Métropole to Rouen (174.2km), with a punchy route featuring 2,050 metres of elevation. The five categorised ascents of the day are packed inside the last 50 kilometres of the stage ahead of an uphill finish.
2+1+1 = 4 attackers
After a rough start of the Tour, Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) attacks as soon the peloton pass km 0. He’s immediately followed by Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility). Thomas Gachignard (Total Energies) joins them at km 5. And Kasper Asgreen (EF Education-EasyPost) makes it a four-man breakaway at km 19.
In the peloton, Mathieu Van der Poel’s teammates - and especially Silvan Dillier - control the gap. The tailwind pushes the attackers at 46.2km/h in the first two hours but their lead never gets higher than 2’10’’ (km 49).
Martinez chases the polka dots
The intensity picks up oil the peloton as they approach the decisive challenges of the day. Asgreen goes first atop the Côte Jacques Anquetil (cat. 4, km 128.2) and the peloton trail by 1’10’’ at the summit.
The gap drops down to 20 after the intermediate sprint, where Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) displays his power. Martinez drops his breakaway companions to go first at the summit of the Côte de Belbeuf (cat. 3, km 146.6).
He is caught at the bottom of the Côte de Bonsecours (cat. 4, summit at km 154.4), paced by Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). The Belgian also drives the bunch up the Côte de la Grand’Mare (cat. 4, km 162.1), before Visma-Lease a Bike take the reins towards the Rampe Saint-Hilaire, with gradients over 10%.
Pogacar puts his stamp
UAE Team Emirates-XRG set a brutal pace with Joao Almeida. Tadej Pogacar puts the hammer down 300 metres away from the summit, with 5.5 km to go. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) is the only one who can keep up. But eight more riders get back on the downhill towards the uphill finish.
Joao Almeida controls for Pogacar. Van der Poel opens the sprint… But he can’t resist Pogacar’s acceleration in the final metres to take his 18th stage win in the Tour and his 100th professional win. Jonas Vingegaard rounds out the podium of the stage and in the overall standings , 8 seconds behind the lead duo, with Van der Poel retaining the Maillot Jaune due his better positions in the first stages (total: 54 vs 92).
