After sprinting to the line first during stages one and three in Britain, Kittel repeated his performance as the Tour returned to France, edging out Norway's Alexander Kristoff and Frenchman Arnaud Demare in a dramatic run to the line.

The Giant-Shimano rider claimed his seventh stage win overall in the Tour de France as he continues to dominate the sprint standings following the forced exit of Briton Mark Cavendish after his crash on the opening stage in Harrogate.

"It was really exhausting," said the 26-year-old.

"The last 30 kilometres, we rode with high speed.

"It was really fast and difficult to stay together with the team at the end.

"The boys delivered me to the front.

"Everything I was thinking about was the last corner, just before the finish.

"I was tempted to go at 500 metres, but then I sat down again.

"It was everything I had at the end.

"Today showed we are not unbeatable.

"It was close today."

Kittel powers his way to the line in a dramatic sprint finish during stage four of the Tour de France in Lille today ©Getty Images



Reigning champion Froome was involved in a crash just 5km into the 163.5 kilometres stage but recovered to finish the stage in 42nd and sit in seventh place overall in the general classification.

The Team Sky rider suffered bruising to his hip, shoulder, knee and elbow while he had to wear a splint on his wrist to complete the stage.

Reacting to Froome's fall, Team Sky sports director Nicolas Portal, said: "We were scared out of our wits, like everyone else, but after talking with him, everything seems okay.

"He hit the tarmac hard, but everything's all right.

"We gave him a splint and, of course, we're taking things extra carefully now.

"I'm not superstitious, but this is one fall we could've done without."

Defending champion Chris Froome gets patched up after suffering a fall early in stage four today ©Getty Images



The Briton's injuries will be severely tested tomorrow on stage five as the riders tackle the cobbled route from Ypres to Arenberg Porte du Hinaut.

Omega Pharma - Quick-Step rider Niki Terpstra also crashed and had to change his bike to complete the race.

The Italian Vincenzo Nibali retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after spending a quiet day in the peloton with the Astana rider two seconds clear of Slovakian Peter Sagan and Switzerland's Michael Albasini.

The day had begun with 2010 Tour de France winner Andy Schleck of Luxembourg announcing he was pulling out of this year's event through injury after a crash on yesterday's stage from Cambridge to London

"Very disappointed to let you know that I will not be able to start. My knee is too damaged from the crash. This is a huge blow for me," he wrote on Twitter.

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