"This will be one of the craziest finals in recent years" - José de Cauwer voices concerns over Tour stage 4
Cycling
This year's Tour de France is quite unique compared to past editions thanks to its course design. Across the whole first week, riders will not see any high mountains as they cruise through the north and west of France. Instead, sprinters and explosive men will find themselves in their territory with multiple opportunities to shine.
Stage 4 is definitely one of those with a long list of favourites, but it's also a stage that sparks quite a debate. According to José de Cauwer, such a stage is causing too much of unnecessary tension in the peloton with a danger of crashes. "This will be one of the craziest finals in recent years," he predicts.
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The effort to have a different race from past editions with mountains often placed in the opening weekend, was evident from a first look at the route design. But have the organizers overdone it a bit with the circuit in Rouen? "They also went for it a bit. We smelled the finish line 3 times, but we always rode away to find a super steep hill somewhere and then a super fast descent. I won't complain, but I hope everything goes well."
De Cauwer hopes above all that whole peloton makes it through this stage in one piece. "That's right, but it's still tricky." It would be a shame to lose a big favourite on such a day due to a crash, he thinks: "I think of Tadej Pogacar, but also to many other riders."
It cannot be denied that descending, corners and technical sections in general are an inseparable part of cycling, but it's always going to be a question of whether the risk is too great. That's always up to the rider to decide: "Risks will not be avoided in the descents, because of course there is also a prestigious stage victory in the region of Jacques Anquetil."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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