Chris Froome was not the only GC rider to hit the deck in today's stage of the Tour de France. Bauke Mollema was involved in the same incident but escaped the incident without any major injuries and is now ready to strike on the Paris-Roubaix cobbles.

Bauke Mollema hit the tarmac early on in today’s stage four of the Tour de France, coming away with some abrasions. In Lille, the leader of the Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM finished in the same time as stage winner Marcel Kittel of Giant-Shimano.

Mollema dropped from sixth to ninth in the overall, but still remains in the top group of 21 at two seconds behind leader Vincenzo Nibali (Astana).

“I’m not seriously injured, I only have a few scrapes. I can handle a crash like this,” said Mollema.

“I had already passed another crash, but ten metres later, when I was accelerating again, a rider in front of me suddenly went down. I sat tight in his wheel and when he hit the tarmac there was no way around for me.”
 

In the rainy final, Mollema managed to stay upright.

“Thanks to the wet roads and all the corners, the last few kilometres got pretty dangerous,” said Steven Kruijswijk. “A lot of riders were dropped at the back of the bunch but our team leaders were at the front.”

Lars Boom was one the riders who took care of the leaders.

“Yes, in the final I was in the front with Bauke,” he said.

The classic specialist already looked ahead to tomorrow’s cobbled stage.

“They predict rain and with a few drops, we can expect a true show,” Boom said. “It will be just as nervous as the first three days in Great Britain. The main thing is to hold a good position. The several cobblestone sections are far apart from each other, too bad if you ask me, but I think there will still be some time differences at the finish. We’re now going to charge our batteries for tomorrow.”
 

Mollema knows the importance of stage 5.

“It’s a key stage, a dangerous one, especially with the possibility of rain. I’m not afraid, tough. In dry circumstances, it would have been an important day, as well. We have a strong team suited for tomorrow’s stage. We reconned it earlier this year and know the strategic points.”
 

Sports Director Nico Verhoeven is confident.

“Tomorrow is going to be a challenge. Our initial goal is to maintain Bauke’s position in the overall. When we have the opportunity to win the stage we’ll go for it. We have to be in the front when the first cobblestone sections come. After that, we have to remain focused until the very last sector. A mechanical could cost a rider dear time, but we have Vittoria’s new pavé tyre and the Bianchi Infinito - and that is an advantage.”