Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) won the fourth stage of the Tour de France for the team out of an original 18 rider breakaway at 191km Tour de France Stage 14 on Saturday, launching his sprint from long distance and overtaking several riders in an exciting final that included catching a rider solo with just a kilometre to go. 

Trentin - in his Tour de France debut - was active in the final kilometres, even launching his own attack in hopes of catching Julien Simon (Sojasun). The continuous attacks in the break were enough to keep the tempo high and eventually Simon was caught. The gap to the peloton was more than enough to ensure the escape group would decide the stage.

In the final metres, Michael Albasini (Orica-GreenEDGE) launched his sprint from the front. Trentin was able to launch on the right side from behind and powered his way past Albasini just before the line. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) was 3rd. 

Trentin used his experience as the second to last leadout man for Mark Cavendish in his own sprint to victory.

"With Mark we always plan the sprint before the race," Trentin said. "Every time we plan, so I have to start from this point, and arrive at that point. Gert has to start from that point and bring Mark to, I don't know, 250 or 200 metres. The thing we always say is 'be calm and wait for the right moment'. Today, I just waited for the right moment. Because I saw the wind, and everybody that started before me in the sprint for sure would come back because it was too strong to make a longer sprint than 200 meters. I just waited because I knew that my good sprint is 200 meters or less. When I saw the 200 meter marker, I started and that was the key of my sprint today."

Trentin had to do plenty of work to put himself in good position, as riders were attacking and marking each other all the way into the final. In the last metres, he said, all of the controlling no longer mattered.

"In a breakaway of about 20, of course you can't control everybody," Trentin said. "So maybe somebody controlled Albasini, maybe the guys who think for sure he is going to attack for the final. They know I am quite fast, so maybe there's a fast guy who controlled me. Because in the last 20km I saw that I always had Rojas (Movistar) with me, on my wheel, almost always behind me. I also controlled other guys, so it's something like a tactic within a tactic during the race. But when you arrive at the finish line it is just your legs that matter."

Trentin has gained quick experience despite being such a young rider. He recently completed the Giro d'Italia, and now has stood on the top step of a Tour de France podium. However, he thinks he still has to learn a lot about himself on the bike. 

"I think in the last two years of professional cycling I have tried almost everything," Trentin said of his riding. "Because I did the Classics, I did one Grand Tour and now I'm doing my second one in the same year. For sure all that experience that the team made for me, is also part of this victory. Because I have the chance to ride with great riders like the big champion Mark, Tom Boonen in the Classics, and also Tony Martin in the time trials. I'm on a great team, with a great structure, and it is perfect to grow up as a rider. I don't know where I can focus in the future. For sure I love the Classics, but I think we will see in a few years’ time. I have to grow more to be sure if this is right or if that is right."