Michael Matthews Wins Tour De France Stage Ten

Last updated : 12 July 2016 By CNS Sport

Michael Matthews of Orica Bikeexchange has won the tenth stage of 103rd Tour De France.

Chris Froome was in the leader's jersey for this 197km stage from Escaldes -Engordany to Revel.

Two early breaks were reeled back in after six and twelve kilometres but after seventeen kilometres, Rui Costa of Lampre got clear and took the ten points on the Port d'Envalira with Tom Dumoulin who arrived thirty two seconds later, in second place.

Costa was joined by Michael Matthews, Peter Sagan and Vincenzo Nibali in the lead.by seventeen seconds at L'Hospitalet after 41kms from Landa (Sky), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Dumoulin (AG2R), Caruso (BMC) and British rider and stage seven winner Steve Cummings (DiData).

After Sebastian Langeveld (Cannondale-Drapac) became the sixth rider to abandon the Tour de France, the gap went out to six minutes as they went through the feedzone.

Sagan and co decided to wait for the rest and a new group of Mikel Landa (Sky), Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Peter Sagan (Tinkoff), Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R-La Mondiale), Damiano Caruso and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC), Edvald Boasson Hagen and Stephen Cummings (Dimension Data), Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal), Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida), Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Luke Durbridge, Daryl Impey and Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange) as the rain came down and agan took the sprint to go ahead of Mark Cavendish in the points jersey.

This group led with a margin of six minutes with 55kms left and through Castelnaudary, the gap was at 4.40.

With seventeen kilometres to go, the front group had split into three groups. The first had Sagan, Dumoulin, Van Avermaet, Boasson Hagen and the three riders from Orica, Durbridge, Impey and Matthews at the front. Nibali and Landa were in between with Caruso, Gallopin, Chavanel, Izagirre, Cummings and Rui Costa off the back.

Into the final ten kilometres and the lead had done out to 7.14 for Sagan's group, who were 2.20 ahead of Nibali, as they started on the category three Cote de Saint-Ferreal climb.

Impey tried to attack bur Sagan would not let him get away and it was Sagan who was first over the summit.

On the descent, it was Sagan, followed by Impey before Boasson-Hagen took it on with just under five kilometres left.

Michael Matthews launched an attack with 3kms left but it was nullified and Sagan was back on the front. Impey was next to try but Sagan marked his move as the gap to the peloton and Chris Froome went out to 8.11

Sagan was in second wheel going under the flam rouge and then up the Boulevrd Jean Jauries. Orica Bikeexchange got their riders up to the front and it was Michael Matthews who won in 4.22.39.ahead of Sagan and Boasson-Hagen.

Chris Froome finished 9.39 down but keeps his leader's jersey.