Sagan sprints to stage 7 victory
Source: Agencies |
July 6, 2013, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SLOVAKIAN rider Peter Sagan won the hilly seventh stage of the Tour de France in a sprint finish yesterday, and Daryl Impey kept the overall race lead.
Sagan held off a challenge from John Degenkolb of Germany to clinch his first stage victory in this year's Tour and extend his lead in the contest for the sprinters' green jersey. Italian sprinter Daniele Bennati was third.
Impey began the day as the first South African rider to wear the yellow jersey, but he will likely relinquish it after today's first of two difficult days of climbing in the high mountains of the Pyrenees.
Keen to get Sagan in a good position to attack, the Cannondale team increased the pace considerably near the end. Three of them almost fell near the end as they mistimed a corner and their bikes wobbled, but their expert handling and reflexes rescued them.
Sagan's stage win moves him 94 points clear of German Andre Greipel and he is already more than 100 points ahead of his arch-rival Mark Cavendish - the 2011 green jersey winner - who was left behind and could not even challenge for the stage win.
The average speed picked up considerably in the fourth hour, jumping up to nearly 50 kilometers per hour in temperatures again well into the 30 Celsius for the 205.5-km leg from Montpellier to Albi.
Veteran rider Christian Vande Velde pulled out after being caught up in an early crash - one of several that have marred a nervy start to the 100th edition of the showcase race. It is the third time the American has failed to finish the Tour after 2001 and 2010.
Sagan held off a challenge from John Degenkolb of Germany to clinch his first stage victory in this year's Tour and extend his lead in the contest for the sprinters' green jersey. Italian sprinter Daniele Bennati was third.
Impey began the day as the first South African rider to wear the yellow jersey, but he will likely relinquish it after today's first of two difficult days of climbing in the high mountains of the Pyrenees.
Keen to get Sagan in a good position to attack, the Cannondale team increased the pace considerably near the end. Three of them almost fell near the end as they mistimed a corner and their bikes wobbled, but their expert handling and reflexes rescued them.
Sagan's stage win moves him 94 points clear of German Andre Greipel and he is already more than 100 points ahead of his arch-rival Mark Cavendish - the 2011 green jersey winner - who was left behind and could not even challenge for the stage win.
The average speed picked up considerably in the fourth hour, jumping up to nearly 50 kilometers per hour in temperatures again well into the 30 Celsius for the 205.5-km leg from Montpellier to Albi.
Veteran rider Christian Vande Velde pulled out after being caught up in an early crash - one of several that have marred a nervy start to the 100th edition of the showcase race. It is the third time the American has failed to finish the Tour after 2001 and 2010.
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