Today's fourth stage started in Vienne and finished after 193 kilometres in Annemasse. The riders had to climb the Côte
du Mont des Princes (3rd category), the Côte de Saint - Jean (4th category) before they reached the final climb of the day: Le
Salève. Sébastien Minard (Cofidis), Adam Hansen (High Road) and Bernhard Kohl (Gerolsteiner), did not start and later Alessandro
Proni (Quick Step) and Sébastien Joly (Française des Jeux) abandoned.
Immediately after the start there were several attacks but the bunch did not allow anyone to take off. But after 5 kilometres
a group with 6 riders broke away. Popovych (Astana), Perez (Euskaltel), Bindi (Lampre), Agnoli (Liquigas), Kroon (CSC) and
De La Fuente (Saunier Duval). Bonnet (Crédit Agricole) tried to bridge-up to the race leaders but after 7 kilometres the French
rider was caught by the bunch.
After 9 kilometres Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) attacked but soon he was caught by the bunch again, and after 10
kilometres the breakaway group was caught as well.
After 12 kilometres Riblon (AG2R-La Mondiale), Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) and Flecha (Rabobank) broke off but the bunch did
not let them go. In the next hour there was a fierce battle with lots os attacks but the bunch did not allow anybody to take
off.
After 62 kilometres finally a group with 16 riders broke off and managed to create a gap. The bunch didn't react as there
were 14 teams represented in the leading group. Roy Sentjens (Silence-Lotto), Sergio Paulinho (Astana), Oscar Pereiro (Caisse
d'Epargne), Juan José Oroz (Euskaltel), Pierre Rolland and Christophe Le Mével (Crédit Agricole), Juan Manuel Garate (Quick
Step), Cyril Dessel (Ag2r), Amaël Moinard (Cofidis), Heinrich Haussler and Peter Wrolich (Gerolsteiner), Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues
Telecom), Frederik Willems (Liquigas), Lars Bak (CSC), David De La Fuente (Saunier Duval) and Dominik Roels (Milram) had a
lead of 2:50 after 70 kilometres.
After 114 kilometres the escapees had a lead of 3:40. Rabobank was one of the few teams who did not have a rider in the
breakaway group and the Dutch team came to the front of the bunch to assist the Caisse d'Epargne team of overall leader Alejandro
Valverde.
After 127.5 kilometres David de la Fuente extended his lead in the mountain classification by passing the top of the
Côte du Mont des Princes (3rd category) first. The bunch followed a little bit over 4 minutes.
After 140 kilometres the leader of the mountain classification extended his lead in the mountain classification
with 5 more points after he passed the Côte de Saint - Jean (4th category) first. Rabobank and Caisse d'Epargne reduced
the gap to the race leaders: 3:35.
After 160 kilometres Voeckler attacked out of the breakaway group. Pierre Rolland joined him, Milram's rookie
Dominque Roels and Heinrich Haussler were between the two race leaders and the rest of the breakaway group. At the footh of the final
climb, Le Salève, Rolland attacked and it seemed he was going to win the stage. Voeckler was standing still and was soon caught
by the group with Valverde and all other overall favourites.
Behind Rolland a trio with Dessel, Paulinho and Moinard were chasing the Credit Agricole rider. After 172 kilometres
Rolland has a lead of 30 secons on the chasing trio, 53 seconds on a group with Pereiro, De La Fuente and Garate. David
Lopez is the only domestique Valverde had left at that moment. The group with Valverde follows at 3:25.
Robert Gesink (Rabobank) attacked out of the group with Valverde. Cadel Evans (Silence - Lotto) and Valverde react
but the group is reduced to only seven riders after the Dutch talent accelerated. More and more riders managed to come back
to the Valverde group after Gesink gave up his attempt. At that moment the Valverde group is 3 minutes behind race
leader Rolland.
Cyril Dessel dropped his companions and flies to race leader Rolland. Dessel jumped over Rolland and takes the stage.
Rolland came in second, 18 seconds behind Dessel and Moinard made it to a complete French podium. The Cofidis rider was 1:21
behind the stage winner. Caisse d'Epargne's Oscar Pereiro came in fourth in the same toime as Moinard. CSC - Saxo Bank's Lars
Bak came in fifth, 2:07 behind Dessel.
Alejandro Valverde heard the warning shot of Rabobank's Robert Gesink but the Spaniard had no real trouble to defend
his yellow jersey today.
The race will continue tomorrow with the 125 kilometres long fifth stage. The riders will have to climb the Col
de Saxel (3rd category), the Col de Perret (4th category), the Côte du Chatillon - sur - Cluses (4th category) before
they reach the final climb of the day, which is the first Horse Category climb of this years Dauphiné Libéré: the Col
de Joux-Plane. After they reached the top (113.5 km mark) of the Joux-Plane, the riders will descend 11.5 kilometres and than
reach the finish in Morzine. Although the queen stage will be on saturday its expected that there will be a hard battle
for the overall win on tomorrows stage.
Click here to view the map and profile of stage 5.
