Cadel Evans won the fourth stage of the Tour De France this afternoon.
Today's 172.5km stage started in Lorient (twin football team of Leyton Orient), and a city voted France's sportiest city by L'Equipe in 2010.
197 riders, following the retirement of Jurgen Van de Walle (Omega Pharma-Lotto) who abandoned due to the injuries he received when he crashed on Saturday, set off on a rainy day in Brittany towards the finish line in Mur de Bretagne, a town close to both the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean.
We had got past Le Grand Moustoir at Caudan when the first break of the day occured. Yesterday, two Frenchmen, Two Spaniards and Dutchman escpaed and today that make up was the same as Jeremy Roy of FDJ, who had been involved in the opening escape of the race on Saturday, broke clear along with Blel Kadri (AG2R), Imanol Erviti (Movistar), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Gorka Izagirre (Euksaltel-Euskadi).
Jonny Hoogerland took the point for being first over the category four the Cote de Laz before the race moved onto the intermediate sprint at Spezet.
Jonny Hoogerland took the twenty points ahead of Jeremy Roy and Cadri before attention turned to who from the peleton would get the points.
Yesterday had seen Thor Hushovd and Mark Cavendish disqualified for what looked only minute contact and it was yesterday's stage winner Tyler Farrer who squeezed through a gap to beat Rojas, Bozic and Mark Cavendish who picked up seven points, to the ten available points.
With 25kms to go, the gap was two minutes. Cadel Evans had a problem and as he was having his bike attended to, a cameraman and pilot came off their motorbike.
Today, the finish was at the end of a category three climb which had a 4.5km ascent. The peleton was altogether as they went up the climb. Cadel Evans, the yellow jersey wearing Hushovd and Contador were all at the front.
Everybody waited so Phillipe Gilbert tried. Contador and Cadel Evans (pictured below) also went and it was the Australian who won in a time of 4hr 11 39 beating Contador and Vinokourov. Bradley Wiggins was in the top twenty.
Thor Hushovd keeps his yellow jersey with David Millar fourth
Tomorrow's fifth stage is from Carhaix to Cap Frehel and is 164.5km long.