Photos: Tour De France riders complete four stages over first weekend

Belgian rider Wout van Aert gained the hilly fourth stage of the 2022 Tour de France and prolonged his total lead after attacking strongly on the day’s last climb on Tuesday.

The Belgian rider stored the chief’s yellow jersey for the Jumbo–Visma staff after taking it for the primary time on Saturday.

He additionally prolonged his lead within the inexperienced jersey contest for finest sprinter. Van Aert shook up the peloton when he surged forward up the final of the 5 climbs — a 900-meter ascent up Cote du Cap Blanc-Nez at a gradient of seven.5 % — about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the tip.

He mentioned he felt an early assault was one of the simplest ways to keep away from a mass dash on the line.

“I didn’t wish to take the danger of shedding anymore. It was fairly apparent that we had been attempting one thing with the staff,” he mentioned. “I went full gasoline to see what would occur. I went all out.”

The 27-year-old Van Aert is taken into account the most effective multi-skilled riders on the planet and is a former three-time cyclo-cross world champion and a one-day classics specialist. The Jumbo-Visma rider flapped his palms like a chicken’s wings as he sat up on his bike.

He crossed the road eight seconds away from countryman Jasper Philipsen of the Alpecin–Fenix staff, with Jumbo-Visma teammate Christophe Laporte taking third place in a dash end.

Wednesday’s fifth stage is a flat stage for sprinters over 157 kilometers (97 miles) beginning at Lille Metropole and going over a number of the feared cobblestones that characteristic on the Paris-Roubaix one-day basic.

The primary three phases of the 109th version of the race came about in Denmark between July 1 and three earlier than the race moved to France. It ends on July 24 in Paris.

Reporting by Related Press.

Belgium’s Wout Van Aert, sporting the general chief’s yellow jersey arrives on the signing ceremony previous to the beginning of the fourth stage of the Tour de France biking race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with begin in Dunkerque and end in Calais, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Picture/Daniel Cole ) 

A lady cheers the riders, as she stands at her window, through the fourth stage of the Tour de France biking race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with begin in Dunkerque and end in Calais, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Picture/Daniel Cole) 

The pack crosses the village of Cassel through the fourth stage of the Tour de France biking race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with begin in Dunkerque and end in Calais, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Picture/Thibault Camus) 

A supporter watches the riders through the fourth stage of the Tour de France biking race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with begin in Dunkerque and end in Calais, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Picture/Daniel Cole) 

Denmark’s Magnus Cort Nielsen, sporting one of the best climber’s dotted jersey, and France’s Anthony Perez, proper, trip within the breakeway as they cross the village of Cassel through the fourth stage of the Tour de France biking race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with begin in Dunkerque and end in Calais, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Picture/Thibault Camus) 

The pack of riders cycles through the fourth stage of the Tour de France on July 5, 2022. (Picture by Thomas Samson/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

The pack rides through the fourth stage of the Tour de France biking race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with begin in Dunkerque and end in Calais, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Picture/Daniel Cole) 

The pack rides through the fourth stage of the Tour de France biking race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with begin in Dunkerque and end in Calais, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Picture/Daniel Cole) 

Belgium’s Wout Van Aert, sporting the general chief’s yellow jersey celebrates after profitable the fourth stage of the Tour de France biking race over 171.5 kilometers (106.6 miles) with begin in Dunkerque and end in Calais, France, Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (Guillaume Horcajuelo/pool photograph through AP) 

Spectators line the race route initially of the third stage of the Tour de France on July 3, 2022. (Picture by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

A pack of riders cycles through the third stage of the Tour de France on July 3, 2022. (Picture by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

EF Training-Easypost staff’s Danish rider Magnus Cort Nielsen sporting the climber’s dotted jersey cycles in a breakaway through the third stage of the Tour de France on July 3, 2022. (Picture by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

A pack of riders cycles previous fields through the third stage of the Tour de France in Denmark, on July 3, 2022. (Picture by Marco Bertorello/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

A big crowd of spectators cheers because the pack of riders cycles through the third stage of the Tour de France on July 3, 2022. (Picture by Marco Bertorello/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Staff Bikeexchange-Jayco staff’s Dutch rider Dylan Groenewegen (R) celebrates his victory flanked by second positioned Jumbo-Visma staff’s Belgian rider Wout Van Aert (C) and Alpecin-Deceuninck staff’s Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen as they cross the end line of the third stage of the Tour de France on July 3, 2022. (Picture by Thomas Samson/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Staff Bikeexchange-Jayco staff’s Dutch rider Dylan Groenewegen celebrates as he crosses the end line to win the third stage of the Tour de France on July 3, 2022. (Picture by Marco Bertorello/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Spectators cycle on a tightrope alongside the race route of the second stage of the Tour de France in Denmark, on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Marco Bertorello/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Fast-Step Alpha Vinyl Staff’s Belgian rider Yves Lampaert sporting the general chief’s yellow jersey (C) cycles with the pack of riders through the second stage of the Tour de France on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Marco Bertorello/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Spectators waving Danish flags line the race route through the 2nd stage of the Tour de France biking race in Denmark on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Marco Bertorello/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Spectators stand round and lay on their red-dotted caravan close to the street at The Nice Belt Bridge in Halsskov through the second stage of the Tour de France biking race between Roskilde and Nyborg, Denmark on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Mads Claus Rasmussen/ Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

The Peloton arrives at Hoeve Straede through the second stage of Tour de France between Roskilde and Nyborg, Denmark on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

The pack of riders cycles throughout the Nice Belt Mounted Hyperlink bridge (Storebaelt) through the second stage of the Tour de France on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

The peloton passes the Nice Belt Bridge through the second stage of the Tour de France on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

A pack of riders cycles throughout the Nice Belt Mounted Hyperlink bridge (Storebaelt) through the second stage of the Tour de France on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Fast-Step Alpha Vinyl Staff’s Belgian rider Yves Lampaert sporting the general chief’s yellow jersey mounts his bicycle after struggling a crash with Totalenergies staff’s French rider Anthony Turgis, EF Training-Easypost staff’s Portuguese rider Ruben Antonio Almeida Guerreiro and B&B Accommodations-KTM staff’s Italian rider Luca Mozzato, on a bridge within the last kilometers of the second stage of the Tour de France on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Etienne Garnier/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Fast-Step Alpha Vinyl Staff’s Dutch rider Fabio Jakobsen (L) celebrates flanked by second place Jumbo-Visma staff’s Belgian rider Wout Van Aert as they cross the end line to win the second stage of the Tour de France in Denmark on July 2, 2022. (Picture by Thomas Samson/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Grass on a hillside grows in and round a bicycle form mowed into the panorama alongside the route of the second stage of the Tour de France on June 16, 2022. (Picture by Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

The facade of a home has been adorned by residents with purple dots forward of the Tour de France within the metropolis of Diernaes, South Jutland, Denmark on June 17, 2022. (Picture by Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

A home is painted with a bicycle owner in preparation of the Tour de France biking race within the metropolis of Jerlev, southern Denmark on June 17, 2022. (Picture by Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Tractors and strawballs type a bike-shaped sculpture alongside the route of the third stage of the Tour de France on June 23, 2022. (Picture by Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

4 climbers in Tour de France jerseys let themselves down alongside the facade of the Lodge Bella Sky through the official opening of the press middle of the Tour de France in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 28, 2022. (Picture by Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Jumbo-Visma staff’s Slovenian rider Primoz Roglic cycles throughout a coaching session, in Bjerge close to Copenhagen on June 30, 2022. (Picture by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Helpers set up the beginning space for the person time trial competitors at Noerre Farimagsgade in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 30, 2022. (Picture by Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Jumbo-Visma staff’s riders cycle throughout a coaching session in Bjerge close to Copenhagen on June 30, 2022. (Picture by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Fast-Step Alpha Vinyl Staff’s Belgian rider Yves Lampaert cycles to the end line through the first stage of the Tour de France in Copenhagen Denmark on July 1, 2022. (Picture by Thomas Samson/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

EF Training Easypost staff’s Colombian rider Rigoberto Uran takes the beginning of the primary stage of the Tour de France on July 1, 2022. (Picture by Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux staff’s Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff cycles through the first stage of the Tour de France on July 1, 2022. (Picture by Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP through Getty Photographs) 

Associates and biking followers Frederik Hestbaek (L) and Jakob Skaarup clink purple wine glasses as they stand alongside the route in Oesterbrogade, Copenhagen on July 1, 2022. (Picture by Olafur Steinar Gestsson/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP through Getty Photographs)