Froome back in yellow in one of closest Tours ever

CHRIS Froome reclaimed the yellow jersey in the Tour de France as Michael Matthews won stage 14 in Rodez.

Australian Matthews burst clear of Belgian Greg Van Avermaet on the steep finish to the 181.5km stage from Blagnac to claim honours on the day.

Team Sky’s Froome crossed the line just behind in seventh place while Astana’s Fabio Aru struggled up the hill and lost his overall lead.

Three-time Tour winner Froome now leads the general classification by 18 seconds from the Italian, with Frenchman Romain Bardet of AG2R La Mondiale third, 23 seconds back.

With gradients of 10 per cent in the 600-metre climb to the finish line, yesterday’s stage was primed for the punchers and so it proved as Matthews did battle with Philippe Gil- bert, Edvald Boasson Hagen, and Van Avermaet – winner on this finish in 2015.

Quick-Step Floors’ Gilbert went early with BMC’s Van Avermaet on his wheel, but Matthews burst past them both and the Team Sunweb rider had time to celebrate before the line.

Van Avermaet finished second with Norwegian Boasson Hagen of Team Dimension Data completing the podium.

The climb was enough to create gaps in the peloton, and Froome pounced to significantly boost his bid for a fourth Tour crown and third in a row.

Irishman Dan Martin and Colombian Rigoberto Uran were with Froome at the line to strengthen their places in the overall top 10 while others lost pockets of time.

Cannondale-Drapac’s Uran sits fourth, 29 seconds down, with Froome’s Spanish teammate Mikel Landa 77 seconds off the pace in fifth place.

Froome had lost yellow on Thursday’s stage to Peyragudes, but blamed the time he gave up on the brutal final climb up the mountaintop airfield on a lack of proper fuelling rather than a loss of form.

This remains the closest the Tour de France has ever been at this stage in the race, but even after losing yellow Froome stayed favourite for overall victory with a time trial still to come in Marseille next weekend.