Kittel wins, Froome stays in yellow
Marcel Kittel has no serious challenger for the King of the Sprint title at this year’s Tour de France.
The German sprinter won the 10th stage with remarkable ease, while Chris Froome stayed safely in the main pack to retain the race leader’s yellow jersey.
Kittel perfectly timed his effort in the final straight to post his fourth stage win since the start of the race, crossing the line ahead of fellow German John Degenkolb.
The stage took the peloton on a flat, 178-kilometre run from Perigueux to Bergerac in southwestern France.
Froome, the three-time Tour champion, will be wearing the yellow jersey for the 50th time today joining five-time Tour winner Jacques Anquetil in fourth place on the all-time list behind Eddy Merckx (96), Bernard Hinault (75), and Miguel Indurain (60).
‘‘A huge, huge honour,’’ the British rider said of the 50 days in yellow.
Kittel was in 10th place after negotiating the two sharp corners of a challenging final kilometre, before turning on the power to surge ahead of his rivals with 150 metres left and securing his 13th career win on the Tour.
He won by a bike’s length and had plenty of time to raise his arms in celebration before crossing the line.
Kittel said his confidence is high after his string of victories.
‘‘I know now from the last sprints that I can hold that speed to the finish line,’’ he said. ‘‘I almost cannot believe what’s happening here at the Tour.’’
Dutch rider Dylan Groenewegen completed the podium in the medieval town.
Dion Smith was the best of the Kiwi riders in 20th while George Bennett still lies in 10th in the general classification, after finishing 39th in the stage. With Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan and Arnaud Demare out of the race, Kittel strengthened his grip on the best sprinter’s green jersey. French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni, who had to settle for a sixth-place finish, acknowledged Kittel’s superiority.
‘‘Kittel was the strongest, he came from behind,’’ Bouhanni said. ‘‘He won four sprints out of five, he is the best sprinter of this Tour.’’
Bouhanni was later fined 200 Swiss francs (NZ$287) and given a one-minute penalty in the general classification for ‘‘assault,’’ the race jury said without elaborating. Video footage shows the French rider elbowing Kiwi rider Jack Bauer Quick-step Floors team toward the end of the stage.
After a plane journey across France and a rest day, the race resumed in Perigueux for a flat ride through the lush landscapes of the Dordogne province in southwestern France.
There was no major change in the overall standings, with Aru still trailing 18 seconds behind Froome and Frenchman Romain Bardet in third place, 51 seconds back.
‘‘It was a more quiet day today, without wind, no stress,’’ Froome said. ‘‘I’m already thinking about the Pyrenees, it’s the next big goal, I’ll need to be ready.’’
Wednesday’s stage is a flat and long 203.5-kilometre (126.5-mile) route from Eymet to Pau. It will be another day for the sprinters before a mountain marathon of more than 200 kilometres the next day.
Froome said Saturday’s stage could be decisive and the next big battle between the contenders for overall victory.
‘‘In the past, we have seen Grand Tours shaped by these stages before,’’ he said. ‘‘That could be another day that could be decisive in this year’s Tour.’’