Stage 4 Le Puy-en-Velay - Montrond-les-Bains (165.8km)
After three demanding stages, the GC contenders will finally get a chance to catch their breath. Stage four is a race of two halves. The opening section still contains plenty of elevation gain and climbs (six in total), but the final fifty kilometers are virtually flat. The question is whether the sprinters will make it to the finish for a bunch sprint.
To do so, they will need solid climbing legs, as the first hundred kilometers include climbs such as the Côte du Temple (5.7 km at 4.5%), Col des Pradeaux (7.2 km at 5.2%), and Col des Limites (3.7 km at 5.5%). Do not be surprised if a strong breakaway group escapes during this phase in the hope of avoiding a sprint finish.
Those attackers will need to be exceptionally strong, however, because the final sixty kilometers are almost completely flat. That gives the sprint teams plenty of time to reorganize ahead of the finish in Montrond-les-Bains, a town known for its medieval castle, thermal baths, and natural riverbanks.
| Date | Wednesday 10 June |
| Start |  Le Puy-en-Velay |
| Finish | Montrond-les-Bains |
| Distance | 165.8 km |
| Start time | 13:05 |
| Expected finish | 16:58-17:20 |
Stage 4 Le Puy-en-Velay - Montrond-les-Bains (165.8km)
After three demanding stages, the GC contenders will finally get a chance to catch their breath. Stage four is a race of two halves. The opening section still contains plenty of elevation gain and climbs (six in total), but the final fifty kilometers are virtually flat. The question is whether the sprinters will make it to the finish for a bunch sprint.
To do so, they will need solid climbing legs, as the first hundred kilometers include climbs such as the Côte du Temple (5.7 km at 4.5%), Col des Pradeaux (7.2 km at 5.2%), and Col des Limites (3.7 km at 5.5%). Do not be surprised if a strong breakaway group escapes during this phase in the hope of avoiding a sprint finish.
Those attackers will need to be exceptionally strong, however, because the final sixty kilometers are almost completely flat. That gives the sprint teams plenty of time to reorganize ahead of the finish in Montrond-les-Bains, a town known for its medieval castle, thermal baths, and natural riverbanks.