Greg van Avermaet pipped Slovakia’s Peter Sagan to the post to become the winner of Stage 13 of the Tour de France between Muret and Rodez. The
ADVERTISEMENTGreg van Avermaet pipped Slovakia’s Peter Sagan to the post to become the winner of Stage 13 of the Tour de France between Muret and Rodez.
The Belgian BMC Racing rider is known for making the top three but seldom winning. He is a specialist at one-day races and has picked up scores of top-five finishes yet very few big wins in his career.
Second placed Sagan has now finished runner-up in this year’s Tour de France four times.
A six-man breakaway built a four-minute gap in temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius but the leading three were caught in the last kilometre.
Belgium’s Jan Bakelants took third place for AG2r-La Mondiale.
Team Sky’s Chris Froome retained the overall leader’s jersey by finishing safely with the other top riders, seven seconds off the pace.
American Tejay van Garderen from the BMC Racing team is second overall followed by Colombia’s Nairo Quintana of Movistar in third.
Saturday’s stage 14 will see the riders follow a 178.5km route with plenty of ups and downs from Rodez to Mende.