CHRIS HITS BIG FIVE-O
CHRIS FROOME collected the 50th yellow jersey of his career after negotiating stage 10 of the Tour de France into Bergerac.
Marcel Kittel took his fourth stage win of this year’s Tour as he beat fellow German John Degenkolb in the sprint, strengthening his grip on the points leaders’ green jersey.
Team Sky’s Froome crossed the line safely in the pack, keeping the three-time Tour winner 18 seconds clear of Italian Fabio Aru in the general classification.
That brought up Froome’s half-century in yellow, putting him level with five-time Tour winner Jacques Anquetil and joint fourth overall.
Froome took yellow at the end of stage five and is hoping to replicate his feat of keeping it to the end of each Tour he has worn it in.
“It would certainly be sweeter if I am able to take this all the way to Paris,” said Froome, who won the Tour in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
“I was told when I crossed the finish line that it’s my 50th day in yellow. It’s a huge honour.”
It was also a milestone victory for Kittel, who now has 13 career Tour stage victories, the most by a German rider in the race.
He had been short of team-mates in the finale but latched on to an attack by British sprinter Dan McLay as the line approached.
McLay had gone too soon for his own hopes of victory but served as the perfect lead-out for Kittel.
The German ace said: “I was waiting for someone to make a move and that was McLay.
“I just held his wheel and then I could hit the front at the perfect moment.”