“I just hope I still have energy for the final three days”: Alex Baudin retains the yellow jersey after a relentless fourth stage

Alex Baudin retained the overall lead at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes after safely navigating a fast and demanding fourth stage, where the breakaway narrowly held off the peloton and Lidl-Trek’s Quinn Simmons sprinted to victory. The French rider, who claimed the yellow jersey after his solo win on the opening stage, remains in control of the race with the decisive mountain stages still to come, although he admitted the pace of racing has made recovery more difficult than expected.

Baudin rejected suggestions that it had been a straightforward day in the leader’s jersey, highlighting the intensity of the racing from the opening kilometres.

“It was not an easy day. It was really fast. I think the breakaway took almost two hours to go, and it was in our favor. So, we just let the break fight and then we had less to ride in the final. In the end, a lot of teams came immediately to ride, so we didn't have to do anything. The team just had to get me in a good position for the final, and they did a super job,” Baudin said after the stage.

The EF Education - EasyPost rider was not surprised that other teams took responsibility for controlling the stage, particularly those with sprint ambitions. “Sprinter teams had to take responsibility because we were not going to close the gap for ourselves. The breakaway was not really dangerous in the GC, and if the sprinters wanted to win, they had to work.”

Baudin also welcomed the success of the escape group, noting that breakaways have enjoyed unusual success during this year’s race. “I'm happy the breakaway made it to the finish. I think that's three days and three breakaways surviving, which you don't see very often. So, it's nice.”

With the decisive climbing stages approaching, Baudin admitted that the relentless pace has limited his opportunities to recover. “I was hoping to take these two days to recover, but with how fast it was today, I couldn't rest. I just hope I still have energy for the final three days.”

Reflecting on why the breakaway managed to stay clear, the Frenchman praised the cooperation among the riders at the front.

“I heard that from inside the breakaway, they never stopped pulling. They never looked at each other. It's always the case that if just one guy starts to stop and save energy, it creates a mess. They worked well together to the end, and they were super strong because the bunch was chasing really fast.”

Baudin also revealed the story behind the sticker displayed on his bike. While some riders carry images of family members, his good-luck charm features a different companion.

“My girlfriend made these stickers on Sunday morning and she gave them to me to put on my bike. It's actually my cat, Aria. I'm a really big fan of cats. It was my lucky charm for Sunday, and now I think I'm going to keep it. Although, I don't think I'm going to kiss it like Jonas [Vingegaard] does, that's his celebration, I'm not going to steal it.”