Michael Matthews completed his set of grand tour victories when he prevailed in the 10th stage of the 2016 Tour de France at the end of a royal breakaway on Tuesday.
The Australian, with three Vuelta and two Giro d’Italia stage wins to his name, outsprinted his breakaway companions after 197km from Escaldes-Engordany, Andorra, benefiting from the support of two of his Orica-Bike Exchange team mates.
World champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), who reclaimed the green jersey for the points classification from Briton Mark Cavendish, took second place and Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) finished third.
Briton Chris Froome (Team Sky) retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey after finishing safe in the main peloton more than nine minutes off the pace.
The stage got off to a nervous start on the category-one climb to the Port d’Envalira, as riders were keen to win places in the day’s breakaway which took its final shape after about 60 kilometres.
It was a royal break as six of the 15 fugitives had already worn the yellow jersey and nine of them were Tour stage winners.
With 24km left, Sagan’s brutal acceleration on a small rise split the group and only seven, including two of Matthews’s team mates, remained in front.
Matthews benefited from compatriot and team mate Luke Durbridge’s work to keep the chasers at bay and then stayed in Sagan’s wheel as his other team mate, South African Daryl Impey, led the group in the lead-up to the final sprint.
Matthews then delivered with an impressive burst of speed over the final 200 metres. (Via Reuters: Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Rex Gowar)
Stage 10 Brief Results:
- Michael Matthews (Australia / Orica) 4:22:38″
- Peter Sagan (Slovakia / Tinkoff) ST
- Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway / Dimension Data)
- Greg Van Avermaet (Belgium / BMC Racing)
- Samuel Dumoulin (France / AG2R)
- Daryl Impey (South Africa / Orica) +2″
- Luke Durbridge (Australia / Orica) +1:10″
- Damiano Caruso (Italy / BMC Racing) +3:01″
- Gorka Izagirre (Spain / Movistar) +3:10″
- Tony Gallopin (France / Lotto)
General Classification After Stage 10:
- Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 49:08:20″
- Adam Yates (Britain / Orica) +16″
- Daniel Martin (Ireland / Etixx – Quick-Step) +19″
- Nairo Quintana (Colombia / Movistar) +23″
- Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) +37″
- Bauke Mollema (Netherlands / Trek) +44″
- Romain Bardet (France / AG2R)
- Sergio Henao (Colombia / Team Sky)
- Louis Meintjes (South Africa / Lampre) +55″
- Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) +1:01″