After a third place yesterday in Bayonne, Caleb Ewan sprinted to second place on the race circuit of Nogaro today. A relatively calm fourth stage in the Tour de France had a nail-biting apotheosis on the Paul Armagnac circuit. Lotto Dstny protected its sprinter Caleb Ewan perfectly in the final and made sure the Australian could enter the race circuit on the first rows. In a chaotic last couple of kilometres, Ewan dodged the crashes and came really close to victory with a powerful kick. Just like yesterday, the Lotto Dstny sprinter was beaten by Philipsen, although by a small difference this time.

“Once again I felt fast and I almost got the stage win”, says Caleb Ewan. “I know I’ve got the speed to win, but everything has to come together to do so. Although it’s a bitter second place, it’s nice to battle for the stage victory. I’m getting closer and I will keep on trying.”

In a hectic final, also teammate Jacopo Guarnieri crashed. “We knew it would be crucial to enter the circuit at the very front to stay out of trouble. The guys just did it perfectly and made sure that I could start my sprint relatively fresh.”

“With the crash of Jasper and also Jacopo coming down today, we again needed to change plans. If I’m surfing wheels in the sprint, I also need a bit of luck to win. Hopefully we can take on the next opportunities at full strength.”

Image: Photo News.