4 Jours de Dunkerque: Sam Watson wins stage 4, takes race lead

Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers) claimed the fourth stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, out-sprinting Movistar's Carlos Canal on the uphill sprint to Cassel. Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) was third at three seconds.

Race leader Axel Zingle (Visma-Lease a Bike) crashed out of the race in the hectic final lap, with Swift climbing into the leader's jersey with three seconds over Askey. Canal is third at eight seconds.

Stage 4 of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, a testing 172.7km stage with circuits around Cassel included two stiff climbs taken on six times each - the Rue de Tambour and steeper Porte d'Aire, which averages 8.6% grades, which also served as the finishing climb.

Four riders went away early in the stage: Fabian Lienhard (Tudor), Matis Louvel (Israel-Premier Tech), Tom Portsmouth (Wagner Bazin WB) and Paul Hennequin (Eustaltel-Euskadi) and gained four minutes before being dragged back with 44km to go.

Sam Maisonobe (Cofidis) attacked with 26km to go and was joined by Ben Swift (Ineos Grenadiers). Meanwhile, race leader Axel Zingle (Visma-Lease a Bike) crashed in the chasing peloton and was forced to abandon the race.

Swift and Maisonobe went into the final 3km only ten seconds ahead of the peloton, with Cofidis blocking the chase. Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies) launched in pursuit of the duo but was caught at the foot of the final climb. Swift and Maisonobe were reeled in soon after. In the final 200 metres, Watson came to the fore and powered to the stage victory.

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