Mathieu van der Poel triumphed in stage nine of the next Tour de France on Sunday. He rode solo after jumping clear from the last major split. The stage spanned for two hundred and two kilometres from Orléans, with the other end being the either end of the route city.
Tom Pidcock landed in the bronze spot even with a mechanical niggle. A small stone lodged in his cassette, blocking the set-up while racing hard.
Tadej Pogačar rolled in inside the front group and grumbled about the warmth. The Tour faced its warmest runs on the trickier stages.
At the same time, peloton battled with wind gusts across the flat country. Many groups tried breaking the peloton before the closing ascent.
After the flag, crowds welcomed the breakaway star loudly. Organisers noted a clean stage on the long day. Race control flagged more heat ahead, as the race heads northward.
Backroom staff insisted the day's result shapes the overall standings ahead of the punchy terrain. MvdP kept his slim lead in the points race. Pidcock rose several spots on gc despite his ill fortune.
Going forward, the field meets a quieter stage before the décisive mountain block.