Tour De France 2012 TV Schedule: What to Watch for in Stage 4

Peter Sagan of Slovakia won an accident-filled Stage 3, crossing the finish line first after a 122-mile ride spanning from Orchis to Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Stage 4 will air on NBC Sports Network on Wednesday, July 4 at 8 a.m. ET.

Riders will travel from Abbeville to Rouen across over 132 miles of hilly terrain.

With nearly 200 riders, there are plenty of stories unfolding already in the infant stages of cycling's greatest race.

Here is what to watch for in Stage 4.

Tyler Farrar Racing for America

The 28-year-old Washington native finds himself in 145th place after three stages, which isn't exactly prime position.

However, July 4 marks the one-year anniversary of Farrar becoming the first American to win a field sprint in over 20 years.

He hasn't won a race since last year's victory, but he will be looking to win on back-to-back Independence Days.

Farrar was involved in one of the many Stage 3 crashes, but he and his teammates were able to fight their way back and catch up with the rest of the pack.

Peter Sagan's Strong Start

Sagan's Stage 3 victory marked his second win in three stages at the 2012 Tour de France. At just 22 years old, he's become something of a rookie phenom in his first Tour de France.

However, he still finds himself sitting at No. 22 in the standings, 24 seconds behind Fabian Cancellara for the lead.

By winning Stage 1, Sagan became the youngest rider to win a stage in Tour de France history since then 21-year-old Lance Armstrong did in 1993.

Keep an Eye Out For Carnage

Crashes are always unnerving in any type of massive race with numerous participants condensed into a small area, but the Tour de France produces some brutal accidents.

Stage 3 saw Philippe Gilbert fly off his bike but only suffer a few minor bruises and scrapes.

Team Sky's Kanstantsin Sivtsov was the first casualty of the 2012 rendition of the race. He was involved in a flat-road crash with 30 miles left to go, suffering a broken left shin.

Jose Joaquin of Spain was hospitalized with a broken collarbone in a crash shortly following the original.