Loop with sticky posts

<section>
<h2 class="style-line"><span>Aktuelles</span></h2>
<div class="row aktuelles-index-4col aktuelles-index sameheight">
<?php
$sticky = count(get_option('sticky_posts'));
// WP_Query arguments
$main_loop = array (
'posts_per_page'         => 4 - $sticky
);

// The Query
$query = new WP_Query( $main_loop );

// The Loop
while ( $query->have_posts() ) : $query->the_post(); ?>
<article <?php post_class('col-md-3 col-sm-6 mbottom_xl sameheight-item') ?>>

<?php echo $sticky; ?>
<header>
<?php if (has_post_thumbnail( $post->ID ) ) { ?>
<!-- YES, has an awesome article thumb -->
<?php $image = wp_get_attachment_image_src( get_post_thumbnail_id( $post->ID ), 'img-m' );
$image = $image[0];
?>
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="hover-read home-aktuelles-thumb" style="background-color: <?php the_field('farbe_b','option'); ?>;">
<figure style="background-image: url('<?php echo $image; ?>')"> </figure>
</a>
<?php } else { ?>

<!-- NO, has no article thumb, but hey ... -->
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="hover-read home-aktuelles-no_thumb" style="background-color: <?php the_field('farbe_b','option'); ?>;">
<div style="background-image: url(<?php the_field('logo','option');?>); background-color: #efefef;">
<!-- ... hmmm ... show logo. -->
</div>
</a>
<?php } ?>

<span class="meta"><?php include (TEMPLATEPATH . '/meta.php' ); ?></span>
<h3>
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
</h3>
</header>
<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
<footer><a href="<?php the_permalink();?>" class="farbe-b button-wide button-mtop"><span>Mehr Info</span></a></footer>
</article>

<?php endwhile; wp_reset_postdata();
?>
</div><!-- row -->
</section>