Tyler Farrar is in an excellent position four stages into the 2011 Tour de France as he angles for the green jersey. After picking up points in the intermediate sprint during Stage 4, Farrar kept himself within striking distance in the race for the overall sprint classification lead. Though the race is still in its early stages, Farrar is fifth in the green jersey competition, 14 points behind leader Jose Joaquin Rojas and two points behind teammate and fellow sprinter Thor Hushovd.
The early sprint standings are populated with plenty of riders who will likely not challenge for the green jersey, leaving us to project who may be around in the end by looking at the traditional sprinters. For example, both Hushovd and Farrar are considered pure sprinters vying for the sprint title, while many others are not. Mark Cavendish, who also is in the running for the green jersey, is well behind the leaders and is carrying just 34 points through for stages after he and Hushovd were relegated in Stage 3.
Here are the standings in the sprint classification of the 2011 Tour de France, courtesy of the tour's official website.
| 1. |
 ROJAS Jose Joaquin |
88 | MOVISTAR TEAM | 82 pts |
| 2. |
 EVANS Cadel |
141 | BMC RACING TEAM | 80 pts |
| 3. |
 GILBERT Philippe |
32 | OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO | 77 pts |
| 4. |
 HUSHOVD Thor |
51 | TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO | 70 pts |
| 5. |
 FARRAR Tyler |
54 | TEAM GARMIN - CERVELO | 68 pts |
| 6. |
 FEILLU Romain |
201 | VACANSOLEIL-DCM | 38 pts |
| 7. |
ROY Jérémy |
138 | FDJ | 37 pts |
| 8. |
VAN DEN BROECK Jurgen |
31 | OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO | 36 pts |
| 9. |
 BOZIC Borut |
202 | VACANSOLEIL-DCM | 36 pts |
| 10. |
CONTADOR Alberto |
1 | SAXO BANK SUNGARD | 35 pts |
The Tour de France gets back underway on Wednesday at 4:30 a.m. PDT as the riders embark on another flat, sprint-oriented stage. Live coverage can be found on Versus.
For the latest on Farrar's journey, stay with our Tour de France StoryStream. For more on the race, including full coverage and results, visit SB Nation's Tour de France StoryStream or stop by Podium Cafe.