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Fernando Gaviria and Peter Sagan transformed the first four days of the Tour de France into a captivating duel between rising star and world champion
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Gaviria was ahead of Sagan at the finish line to win the fourth leg on Tuesday and win his second victory in his first participation in the biggest cycling race.
The 23-year-old Colombian had already improved Sagan in a sprint. He takes first place amid growing expectations since his four stage wins at last year 's Giro d' Italia.
Sagan fought back by winning the second leg in an upward sprint after Gaviria fell into a pileup group in the last corner.
Tuesday's flat leg with its 4km – the longest to complete a stage After Quick-Step tracked the breakaway to set up Gaviria, he powered ahead of the pack with a swinging handlebar and crossing a few inches from Sagan with Andre Greipel.
Sagan was fast approaching and seemed to be able to overtake him as Gaviria hit the line.
"He's faster than me," said Sagan, the three-time world champion who excels. "We'll see maybe I'll wait for an error (to beat him) and maybe we'll see the next few days in the climbs, every step is different, every sprint is different."
Gaviria finishes the 195 km race from La Baule to Sarzeau. The hat started and ended on the Atlantic coast in 4 hours, 25 minutes and 1 second
"It was a very difficult sprint, but we knew how to tear it off," declared Gaviria
. receive help from other teams to bring back the breakaway, but in the end, my team deserves this win and we can go to the hotel very happy with what we have accomplished. "
Defending champion Chris Froome of Sky, 55 seconds back because of his fall in the first stage, safely finished in the pack with leader Greg Van Avermaet.
The riders enjoyed a calm and sunny afternoon until a snag near the front of the pack with a little over 5 kilometers to left who sent several runners on the tarmac.
Van Avermaet, Olympic Road Race Champion in 2016, who is a supporter of BMC leader Richie Porte, won the yellow jersey when his team won the team time trial on Monday
Tom Dumoulin was seventh (11 seconds behind), the second last year, Rigoberto Uran, finished 10th (: 35) and 14th (51st).
Movistar teammates Alejandro Valverde and Mikel Landa were 15th and 16th (: 53), just ahead of Froome. The 2014 champion Vincenzo Nibali was 19th (1:06), Romain Bardet 20th (1:15) and Nairo Quintana 48th (2:08).
A four-man breakaway opened a gap of more than seven minutes early in the game, but the Quick-Step squad slowly raised them two kilometers from the finish
. More days in the north-east of Brittany, where fans wave the black and white Breton flag on the side of the road while the peloton crosses the country villages
The fifth stage is a stage of 204.5 kilometers between Lorient and Quimper.
"Tomorrow, it's going to be a difficult step, it's a mini-classic in the Tour," said Van Avermaet.
The Tour heads east before joining the dreaded pavement of the 9th stage. and in the mountains.
Froome, who was cleared of doping allegations last week by the International Cycling Union, has been taunted by skeptical fans since his arrival in France.
During the Tuesday phase, several syringes were seen along the route in protest of anti-Froome spectators.
Froome tries to join the select group of Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain riders to win the Tour five times
The three-week Tour ends July 29 in Paris
] AP
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cycling,
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