Boasson Hagen finally steps up

After two second-place finishes, Edvald Boasson Hagen finally got a stage victory at the Tour de France.

The Norwegian caught the right breakaways on the longest stage and used all of his guile and strength to hold off chasers in the final section.

Boasson Hagen was part of a 20-man group that overall leader Chris Froome and Team Sky gave freedom to escape from the peloton because none of them presented a threat to his overall lead.

At the finish in Salonde Provence, Boasson Hagen went right around a roundabout while others went left. His route proved shorter. That small lead and his strength on the flat made him uncatchable.

The overall standings remained unchanged, with Froome still leading French rider Romain Bardet by 23 seconds and Rigoberto Uran of Colombia by 29 seconds.