Tour de France had cobbles on the dreaded menu of stage 4, which greatly reduced the size of the front group that made it to the line in Cambrai. Tinkoff-Saxo’s Alberto Contador thanks his teammates for their support including Peter Sagan, who managed to grab 3rd place behind stage winner Tony Martin after having dedicated his energy to the overall team objective.
 
Alberto Contador finished safely with good sensations on the demanding stage 4 of Tour de France and was quick to thank his team after crossing the finish line in Cambrai.
 
“I’m very satisfied with today because my sensations were very good. I also congratulate the team for their effort because they worked very well today including Peter Sagan, who did some excellent work for me. So I wish to thank them a lot. The objective today was to pass the day without problems and the only problem I had during the race was with my rear wheel in the last 25 kilometers. As we entered the last three kilometers I thought about the possibility of changing my bike but I decided to continue and fortunately I could. It would have been very risky to change bike in the last kilometers”, comments Alberto Contador.

”I indeed felt that something was wrong. But I really must thank my (Tinkoff-Saxo) team-mates who kept me out of trouble until the end. I had good legs today, much better than yesterday. I'm above all glad to have made it out of it without a problem.”

Stage 4 offered seven cobblestone sections, which made for a tough race, where the fight for positioning increasingly intensified before each sector. During the final, crucial part of the 223.5km stage, Alberto Contador had the backing of Sagan, Bennati and Kreuziger, who stayed close to their captain. According to Peter Sagan, who finished 3rd on the stage behind Tony Martin, his main objective was to support Contador.

"We expected a crazy stage and it was," he said. "It went well. Our goal was to keep Alberto Contador safe. It was hard but we have done a nice race. I saw Tony Martin attacking and I thought either someone goes after him directly or he goes to the finish. I couldn't respond. I was finished after pulling for Alberto but it was ok. Job is done.

“I am in the team with Alberto and that is important to understand. I did my very best to help him and make sure that I did my part in keeping him in the first group. Then I was almost dropped from the first group after I had closed a gap but I was able to recover a bit for the final sprint. But I didn’t expect that I could finish 3rd, as I had spent a lot of energy. I’m very happy with the result today, as I spent much energy and I’m glad that Alberto got through the stage in a nice way – this is the most important”, says Peter Sagan, who underlines that the situation on each day will decide whether he will go for the sprints.
 
“No matter how hard the stage is, we all work for Alberto and if we can do something for him in the GC then I’m satisfied with the outcome. It’s difficult to both win stages and help Alberto, which is my main focus. We will see if I can take a stage win in one of the flat stage in the next days, but it’s very dangerous and it’s a bit like lottery. Maybe you win but you can also crash, so I have to be really careful”, adds Peter Sagan, who retains the white jersey.

When asked about his evaluation of the overall team effort, Head Sports Director Steven de Jongh declares himself very pleased with the execution of the team strategy.
 
“I think that the performance of the guys speaks for itself. I’m very satisfied and I think they showed excellent teamwork. All the boys up there in the finale did an excellent effort, especially Sagan and Bennati were very important, as their job was to stay close to Alberto throughout the stage no matter what. Alberto had a problem with his rear wheel, it was something that we followed closely but he was able to finish without having to change bike”, says Steven de Jongh, who notes that there is a sense of relief on the team after the challenging stage.
 
“Alberto is very happy with today and there was a very relieved atmosphere in the bus. It was very important to have Sagan’s experience today and he was very attentive in some crucial situations but we also have to mention Bennati, who never left Alberto out of sight. I think we can be satisfied with the first four days. I see a team that works and operates well. We will see how the next days unfold but it’s obvious that the sprinters will try to get the most out of them”, finishes Steven de Jongh.