Kittel wins again, Froome keeps lead

German rider Marcel Kittel has claimed the 11th stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish, taking his tally to five stage wins since the start of the race.

Ahead of two hard days in the Pyrenees mountains, Chris Froome finished in the main pack yesterday to retain the race leader’s yellow jersey.

A sprint specialist, Kittel has now won 14 Tour de France stages in five appearances at cycling’s showcase event, a record for a German rider.

The stage took the peloton on a flat, 203.5-kilometre run from Eymet to Pau in southwestern France.

Kittel’s power in the bunch sprint could not be matched and the Quick-step Floors rider easily beat Dylan Groenewegen and Edvald Boasson Hagen by half a bike length to extend his lead in the points classification after stopping his effort well before the finish line.

Kittel has lost only one sprint since the start and has been in a class of his own since Mark Cavendish and Arnaud Demare departed the race.

Dion Smith was the best of the Kiwi riders, finishing 14th, while George Bennett was 39th and remains in 10th in the general classification.

The stage was supposed to be what Tour riders call a ‘‘transition’' day, an easier ride that took them to the gateway to the Pyrenees mountains ahead of two hard days of gruelling ascents.

But stress was palpable in the pack towards the end, with several crashes happening at the back of the peloton.

Third overall, Frenchman Romain Bardet hit the deck and slightly hurt a knee but the AG2R La Mondiale was able to continue after changing bike and did not lose time.