Tour de France: Degenkolb masters cobblestones, others crash
John Degenkolb won a three-man sprint to conclude the action-packed, cobblestoned Stage 9 of the Tour de France on Sunday, while overall contender Richie Porte crashed out of the race and favourite Chris Froome overcame a tumble.
Yellow-jersey holder Greg Van Avermaet crossed second and increased his overall lead to 43 seconds ahead of Geraint Thomas, a teammate of Froome at Team Sky. Yves Lampaert of Quick-Step finished third.
Four-time Tour champion Chris Froome crossed in the main pack, 27 seconds behind, having had a fan help him get going again when he fell with 45 kilometres (28 miles) to go.
Froome moved up to eighth overall, 1:42 behind Van Avermaet, who is not a threat in the mountains.
Porte, the BMC team leader, crashed 10 kilometres into the 156.5-kilometre (97-mile) leg — before any of the 15 cobblestone sections — and abandoned with an apparent right shoulder injury. Porte also crashed out of last year’s Tour in the ninth stage, on a mountain descent.
Rigoberto Uran, last year’s runner-up, and Mikel Landa, one of three leaders of the Movistar team, also each crashed and lost time.
Among the favourites in the overall standings apart from Froome: Alejandro Valverde is fifth (1:31 behind); Rafal Majka sixth (1:32); Jakob Fuglsang seventh (1:33); Adam Yates ninth (1:42); Landa 10th (1:42); and Vincenzo Nibali 12th (1:48).
It was the first career victory at the Tour for Degenkolb, a German who rides for the TrekSegafredo team. Degenkolb won the Paris-Roubaix singleday classic, which covers much of the same course, in 2015.
The route starting in Arras contained the highest number of cobblestone sections since the 1980 Tour, with nearly 22 kilometres altogether.
While it wasn’t rainy and muddy like in April, the heat and sun made it dusty dry.
After a rest day Monday, the Tour resumes in the Alps on Tuesday with a 158.5-kilometre leg from Annecy to Le GrandBornand featuring three category one climbs and one beyondcategory ascent.