Robbie McEwen (Katusha) – 4th on stage, 23rd overall @ 2:52: "I was on Petacchi's wheel, and going well. But then I tried to come past him but I felt so still. Then, I was passed by a few other riders. It came to nothing. It's not so much the elbow [that bothers me]. When I crashed in Spa, I also fell on my right hip, and it hurts. I just don't have power because of it."
Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) – 12th on stage, 109th overall @ 9:11: "I'm disappointed about today. I felt really good during the stage. I feel sorry for my teammates who rode unbelievably and I just didn't finish it off at the end. We're really motivated as a team and I'm going to go out there tomorrow and give it hundred percent again. Congratulations to Alessandro Petacchi for another great stage win."
Julian Dean (Garmin-Transitions) – 2nd on stage, 146th overall @ 17:32: "I was a bit surprised, you never start out after being in the hosptial two days ago thinking you're going to do that. I'm over the moon to achieve this but wish I was 100 percent for the sprint. I feel like maybe I could have won. But that said I'm really proud of what the team's acheived - fourth yesterday and second and fifth today."
Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) – 23rd on stage, 165th overall @ 22:03: I'm really happy for Julian and proud of our team for what we've accomplished yesterday and today. After a day like Monday its impossible to know what's in store so it really shows our depth and determination. I knew I wasn't going to be able to really go for the sprint and I was happy to help Julian and Robbie - espeically given how much they lay on the one for me. I don't know what the next few stages hold, I'm just taking it day by day, hoping I'll continue to recover and helping the team any way I can.
Gerald Ciolek (Team Milram) – 11th on stage, 127th overall @ 12:42: "That was an extremely high-speed sprint today, just made for a sprinter like Petacchi. I was two or three times in the wind in the last kilometre. That cost me some strength, so that a top placing was no longer possible in the end."
Brett Lancaster (Cervelo Test Team) – 84th on stage, 162nd overall @ 20:19: "These next few days before the first climbing stages in the Alps are good opportunities for Thor to pick up another stage victory and chase the green jersey. We’re in a good position now with the green jersey, but the Tour is just starting. A lot can happen. Thor is motivated to win more. My job is to be there for Thor in the sprints."
Carlos Sastre (Cervelo Test Team) – 111th on stage, 46th overall @ 3:19: "Today has been the quietest day of the Tour so far, although it has been a fast stage with headwinds throughout. It also helped that the pace within the group was relatively laid back. I think that today Thor has paid a bit for yesterday’s efforts. Even so, he gave it a go and that’s important for the team’s morale."
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Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team) – 16th on stage, 3rd overall @ 0:39: "It was a relatively stress free day today: almost any stage would be after the last three. Tired heads, bruised bodies, sore legs and backsides (cobbles are rough) seem to be the order of complaints at this early point in the race. Nice to see reliable lead out guy Julian Dean making use of his chance and finishing second. My hard man award of the Tour start goes to Tyler Farrar - because of his wrist injury, he rode all of yesterday, one handed!"
Team/sport directors
HTC-Columbia's Rolf Aldag: "Things didn't go perfectly for us today but we are going to regroup as a team and work on tomorrow's execution. Other teams did a great job today. We'll make some adjustments and be back in it tomorrow."
Garmin-Transitions' Matt White: "Today was a great day for the team. We knew with Tyler's injuries it wasn't possible for him to make the sprint so we left it up to the hands of two of his lead out men, Julian and Robbie. After Monday's stage, losing Christian and having Tyler get so hurt, we've found ourselves having to look at other options. Today, those options worked in our favor. Julian produced a great ride - to go from lead out man to second on the stage, considering he was in the hospital days ago, is a testament to his strength. Robbie was equally impressive."
Cervelo Test Team's Jean-Paul van Poppel: "We put Thor in perfect position with 300 metres to go, but Thor just didn’t have the speed today because he’s feeling a bit of fatigue from the past few days. That’s completely normal. The rest of the guys on the team got through today, no problems at all. Tomorrow is another for Thor. We can expect him to be feeling better."
Team Milram's Gerry van Gerwen: "You can see that Gerald has not yet reached his top form. He was sick shortly before the Tour de France. That is noticeable, because he still doesn't have his top speed. But the Tour is long and he is getting better from day to day. As of tomorrow the cards will be newly shuffled."
Click here to see full results, report and images from stage four.
